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should be extended and modified to permit the closing of part of a house
as against the closing of the whole house, but owing to the shortage of
housing accommodation the time did not appear to be opportune for
proceeding with this as it would only cause overcrowding in other parts of
the house.
Later the Metropolitan Boroughs Standing Joint Committee wrote
stating this question was also considered by the London County Council,
who took the view that the use of many basement dwellings as living
rooms, and not only their use as sleeping quarters, is injurious to health,
and that the question should therefore be considered in its broader public
health aspect and not merely in relation to dangers arising from floodings.
The County Council have before them a proposal that legislation should be
promoted to extend the scope of Part I of the Housing Act, 1925, in its
application to London, so as to enable unsatisfactory basement rooms
used as living rooms to be deemed to be so dangerous or injurious to health as
to be unfit for human habitation and consequently to subject them to the
provision of that part of the Act in relation to closing orders. It was
not proposed that the making of a closing order in respect of an underground
room should prevent the room being used for other than dwelling
purposes or prevent the continued use of the remainder of the house for
dwelling purposes, neither was it contemplated that the suggested statutory
powers should connote the immediate closing of a large number of existing
dwellings, but that the powers would be exercised only as and when
circumstances permitted. As, however, any rehousing operations involved
by the closing of underground rooms on a relatively large scale would
probably have to be undertaken by the County Council it was proposed to
safeguard their position so as to ensure that the proposed powers shall not
be exercised in such a way as to embarrass their housing operations.
The Metropolitan Boroughs Standing Joint Committee was informed
that this Council supported the proposals of the London County Council.