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55
The inspection of shop premises in the Borough is carried out by Mr. A. C. Harrison, one of the
Meat and Food Inspectors.
The following particulars relate to work carried out under the Shops Acts during the year:—
First inspections 340
Re-inspections 1,674
Exemption certificates as regards sanitary conveniences applied for 50
„ „ granted 50
The following contraventions of the Acts were discovered during the year:—
Insufficient sanitary conveniences 10
Sanitary conveniences unventilated 17
„ „ improperly sealed from lobbies 17
Absence of lobbies to sanitary conveniences 20
Water-closets improperly screened 8
Water-closet walls and ceilings defective or dirty 52
„ roofs defective 2
„ pans defective or dirty 32
windows defective 9
doors defective 9
„ fittings defective 59
Absence of indicators to water-closet doors 61
,, lighting to water-closets 94
Reasonable temperature not maintained 58
Insufficient ventilation 10
In the course of his inspections, the Inspector also discovered the following defects:—
Premises dilapidated or dirty 93
Drains choked 9
Fresh air inlet connections to drains defective 4
Inspection chamber covers defective 7
Internal gully traps uncovered 2
Flues defective 2
Waste-pipes of sinks untrapped 39
,, ,, defective 9
Yard pavings defective 5
Dustbins defective 37
Accumulations of rubbish 19
No legal proceedings were necessary during the year.
HOUSING.
Abatement of Overcrowding.
In this Borough the Minister of Health fixed the appointed dayfor the purposes of sections 3, 4, 8
and 68 of the Housing Act, 1935, as the 1st January, 1938, and for the purposes of section 6 of the
Act as the 1st July, 1937.
Section 6 (1) (now section 62 (1) of the Housing Act, 1936) provides that as from the expiration
of six months from the appointed day, every rent book or similar document used in relation to a
dwelling-house must contain the following summary of the provisions of the Act relating to overcrowding,
including a statement of the number of persons permitted to sleep in the house:—
After the 1st day of January, 1938, an occupier who causes or permits his dwelling to be
overcrowded is liable to prosecution for an offence under the Housing Act, 1936, and, if convicted,
to a fine not exceeding five pounds. Any part of a house which is occupied by a separate family
is a " dwelling."
A dwelling is overcrowded if the number of persons sleeping in it is more than the " permitted
number," or is such that two or more of those persons, being ten years old or over, of opposite
sexes (not being persons living together as husband and wife) must sleep in the same room.
The "permitted number" for the dwelling to which this (Rent Book) ( )
relates is persons. In counting the number of persons each child under ten years of age
counts as half a person, and a child of less than one year is not counted at all.
The Act contains special provisions relating to overcrowding already existing on the abovementioned
date or which is due to a child attaining the age of either one or ten years after that
date, or which is due to exceptional circumstances. Full information about these special
provisions as to overcrowding can be obtained free on application to the Medical Officer of Health,
whose address is Town Hall, Paddington Green, W.2.
Under section 6 (2) of the Act it is the duty of the local authority, upon the application of the
landlord, or of the occupier, of a dwelling-house, to inform the applicant in writing of the number
of persons constituting the permitted number in relation to the house, and a statement inserted in a
rent book or similar document under the foregoing subsection shall be deemed to be a sufficient and
correct statement if it agrees with information given under this subsection.