View report page

56
The general powers given to the Council under the previous
legislation, viz.—
Natural Lighting
Ventilation
Water Supply
Drainage and Sanitary Conveniences
Facilities for storage, preparation and cooking of food
and for the disposal of waste water
Prevention of overcrowding of sleeping rooms
have been retained and with regard to these items, briefly, Section
36 of the 1957 Act enables the Council to enforce standards whilst
giving the person in control of the house a choice of action; either
(a) to carry out works specified in the notice or (b) to reduce the
density of occupation, in which case possession of the whole or part
of the premises can be obtained notwithstanding the Rent Acts.
Under Section 90, the Council may, if it considers the numbers
of persons accommodated in a house let-in-lodgings to be excessive
having regard to the rooms available, serve on the person having
control of the said premises, a notice specifying the maximum number
of people permitted to occupy for sleeping purposes any room
therein. After the notice becomes operative an offence is committed
if any room is occupied contrary to the terms of such notice or
where persons of opposite sex over the age of 12 years and not living
as man and wife are allowed to occupy the same sleeping accommodation.
The Minister has expressed the view that no rigid code should
be applied but that all cases should be decided on their respective
merits.
One house let-in-lodgings was visited by the Public Health
Inspector and it was found unnecessary to serve a notice.
The Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Act, 1952.—In
pursuance of the powers conferred upon him by Section 5 of the
above Act, the Secretary of State made Regulations to come into
operation on the 1st October, 1953. These Regulations require
fireguards to be fitted to gas fires, electric fires and oil heaters
which are so designed that they are suitable for use in residential
premises and are of such a type that, without a guard, there is a
likelihood of injury by burning. The standards of construction and
fitting for guards and the tests to be employed in ascertaining
whether guards comply with those standards, are set out in the
Schedule. Regulation 4 gives an exemption from the Regulations
in the cases of sales for scrap.