View report page

65
to the Council to grant a certificate that a restaurant kitchen in the
City was properly constructed. At that time the London County
Council, at the request of the Metropolitan Boroughs, had incorporated
clauses in their General Powers Bill authorising the Borough Councils
to require a certain standard in restaurant kitchens, and in consequence
thereof the Public Health Committee considered it desirable to take
no action then. The County Council, however, at the last moment,
withdrew the clauses, and thus the powers for which the Borough
Councils have been asking for a number of years have not. yet been
given. I therefore venture to bring the matter again before your
notice for your consideration.
"The Council and its predecessors have expressed the opinion on
several occasions that all places where food is sold or prepared for sale
should be registered as fit and suitable for the purpose, although this
cannot be attained compulsorily. The experience of the City of London
during the last nine months has shown that the owners of such places
will voluntarily carry out improvements to enable them to obtain a
certificate from the Council that at the date thereof their premises
were in a satisfactory sanitary condition.
"If the Committee agree to the principle, then a standard of
requirements should be drawn up. This would be similar to that for
underground bakehouses, and thereafter owners of kitchens and aboveground
bakehouses might be informed that upon their premises being
found to comply with the standard a certificate would be granted.
Objection has been taken that after a year or two alterations may
have been carried out in the premises, or that through neglect the
conditions may not be satisfactory. This difficulty can be obviated by
requiring notice to be given of proposed alterations, requiring renewal
of the certificates at the end of a stated period, and by regular
inspection, as in the case of underground bakehouses.
"In the City of London the certificates are issued free of charge, but
there is 110 reason why a fee should not be charged for the special
service rendered.
"Objections have been mentioned against the principle of granting
certificates of fitness, but in several seaside towns the practice has been
in vogue for many years with regard to lodging and boarding houses,
hotels, &c., and the possession of the certificate is looked upon as a
valuable attraction by its possessor. Every few years I am asked to
give a certificate under the Revenue Act that premises under forty
pounds a year rateable value are in a proper sanitary condition and
suitable for the purpose, and if the owner obtains this certificate he
escapes payment of Inhabited House Duty. The annual licensing of
common lodging houses, slaughter houses, and cow houses is another
example, as was also the certificate the Council gave at the beginning