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63
Housing Act, 1935—Housing Survey.—During the year
a survey of the Borough was carried out in accordance
with the provisions of the Housing Act, 1935.
This was made with a view to ascertaining what dwellinghouses
were overcrowded on the standard laid down in the
Act and the preparation and submission to the Minister
of Health, through the London County Council, a report
showing the result of the inspection and the number of
new houses required in order to abate the overcrowding
disclosed.
To ensure, as far as possible, that the survey for the
County of London was carried out in a uniform manner,
the County Council arranged a code of instructions for the
staff engaged on the work and for the forms used in connection
with the survey to be supplied to the Metropolitan
Borough Councils.
The overcrowding standard laid down in the Act consists
of two parts. Section 2 (1) (a) provides that a
dwelling-house shall be deemed to be overcrowded if the
accommodation is such that any two persons being 10 years
old or more, of opposite sexes and not being persons living
together as husband and wife must sleep in the same room.
Section 2 (1) (b), in conjunction with Tables I and II in
the First Schedule to the Act, fixes, in relation to the
number and size of the rooms in any dwelling-house, the
maximum number of persons, irrespective of sex, who may
be permitted to sleep in that house at one time. The
maximum permitted number in the case of each dwelling
is the number ascertained by reference to Table I or
Table II in the First Schedule, whichever number is the
less. These tables are as follows :—
TablEI. Table II.
No. of Permitted No. Permitted No.
Rooms. of Persons. Size of Koom. of Persons.
1 2 110 sq. ft. or over 2
2 3 90 sq. ft. or over but
3 5 under 110 sq. ft 1½
4 7½ 70 sq. ft. or over but
5 10 under 90 sq. ft. 1
and two persons extra for each 60 sq. ft. or over but
additional room. No room under under 70 sq. ft. ½
50 sq. ft. is counted. Under 50 sq. ft. Nil