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These reports are then correlated with the medical certificates,
and a degree of medical priority is then allotted.

Applications for rehousing by the London County Council are made
to that body. Reports are sometimes asked for and supplied in regard
to the existing overcrowding and sanitary defects. A very limited
number are granted medical priority allocated by the County Medical
Officer of Health.

In addition many transfers within the Council property took place,
in order to make the best use of existing accommodation and prevent
under occupation.
Overcrowding:
It is difficult to estimate the extent of overcrowding in the
Borough - either overcrowding based on the purely legal standard or
what may well be considered to be overcrowding of families living in
cramped conditions, necessitating the use of kitchens as bedrooms, but
not legally overcrowded. At the beginning of 1957 a register was
started of overcrowded families, coming to the notice of the Department.
Since then, details of some 191 families have been recorded, in 56 of
which the overcrowding was subsequently abated by rehousing.
Generally speaking, however, serious overcrowding is much reduced,
and the majority of cases coming to the notice of the department are
only overcrowded to the extent of ½ of 1 unit, usually caused by natural
increase over a period of years. Twenty,eight new cases were noted
during 1963.
It is the policy to send strongly worded letters, threatening
prosecution to owners and tenants of dwellings where recent wilful overcrowding
has come to light. No prosecutions were undertaken during the
year.
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