London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

City of Westminster 1935

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]

This page requires JavaScript

78
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1935 (Section 67).—The
Section of this Act, which came into force in 1935, provides that in the case
of all buildings which are either constructed after 1935 or are divided
after 1935 into separate tenements and used for human habitation or as
a place where persons are employed, the local authority shall require that
there is a supply of drinking water direct from the mains, adequate and
readily accessible having regard to the number of persons using the building.
The Section does not apply to cases in which, owing to the height of the
tenement or by agreement the Metropolitan Water Board are not
required to supply water for domestic purposes or where the Sanitary
Authority are satisfied with a supply obtained from a permanent source
other than the mains of the Water Board.
By-laws as to Removal of Offensive Refuse.—Two cases were reported
and the persons concerned were prosecuted and fined 10s. each.
Lighting of staircases in tenement buildings.—London County Council
(General Powers) Act, 1927 (Sec. 61)—At four tenement houses lighting
of staircases was installed or improved following the service of formal
notices.
Shops Act, 1934.—This Act came into force at the beginning of the
year and as there are considerably over six thousand shops throughout
the City the Council in February appointed a temporary Sanitary Inspector
to assist in the work of inspection with a view to ascertaining whether the
provisions of the Act were complied with.
By the end of the year, 1431 shops had been inspected, and the results
of these inspections recorded. A total of 318 notices were served
requiring the provision of:—
Notices.
Suitable and sufficient means of ventilation 72
Means to maintain a reasonable temperature 14
Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences 140
Remedying other defects 92
Total 318
Housing has occupied so prominent a place as regards inspection that
with the existing staff it has not been possible to overtake more than one
quarter of the primary inspections required by this statute. It is further
to be noted that the Act requires a satisfactory standard of ventilation and
heating to be maintained. This obviously implies a need for routine
re-inspections.