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28
Sanitary Conveniences for Customers in Restaurants, Cafes, etc. and Hand Washing
Facilities
The powers available to local authorities in London to provide sanitary conveniences for the use
of customers of catering establishments have already been referred to at some length in previous
Annual Reports.
The Public Health Inspectors have continued to inspire owners or occupiers of refreshment
houses to provide these facilities where it is reasonable and practical to do so.
The majority of the larger restaurants in the City have been co-operative in this respect. This is
not always appreciated by the public. Wilful damage and abuse has caused some caterers to
restrict the use of the sanitary accommodation on their premises, and instead have directed their
customers to the nearest street convenience.
The words "sanitary conveniences" contained in the appropriate legislation unfortunately do
not include washing facilities. It has been found that in some public houses there is a reluctance
on the part of the management, due to persistent damage, to provide this latter amenity, including
hot water, towels, etc. When it has been possible to persuade proprietors to do so, albeit sometimes
reluctantly, misuse of the amenities understandably does not encourage them voluntarily to undertake
the expense of repair to again make them available.
Without suitable legislative powers to require hand washing to be associated with sanitary
conveniences, the position remains far from satisfactory. Nevertheless, the Public Health Inspectors
always impress on the proprietors of catering establishments the fact that both facilities are
compatible with satisfactory hygiene standards.
Licensing Act 1964
The provisions of this Act enable a local authority to lodge an objection in respect of an
application to the Magistrates' Court for a Club Registration Certificate, where it is desired to provide
intoxicating liquor for members and their guests, on the grounds that the premises are not suitable
and convenient for the purpose in view of their character and condition, and of the size and nature
of the club.
Similar powers are available to a local authority to lodge an objection in respect of an application
to the Licensing Justices for a licence to sell intoxicating liquor in restaurants, private hotels,
guest houses, etc. The Justices may refuse an application if the premises are not structurally
adapted and bona fide used for the purposes of habitually providing customary main meals or,
after reasonable steps have been taken, it was not possible to inspect the premises.
Inspection of all premises in respect of which applications for Club Registration Certificates or
Licensing Justices applications were received during the year, were made before the hearing.
In no case was a formal objection raised to an application, but some applications for Justices
licences were refused or held over until the Department had satisfied the Clerk that remedial action
had been taken or that works outstanding were sufficiently advanced to permit the application
to be granted.
Food Hygiene, etc. Lectures
There has been an increasing demand for lectures by the public health inspectors on subjects
associated with food hygiene and food control.
Some of these requests have come from large catering firms conducting training courses for
their managerial staff, and others from business colleges and consultative organisations running
courses for company secretaries, catering advisers, personnel managers and staff canteen managers.
It has been interesting to note that the audience has frequently consisted of persons drawn from
many different parts of the country and not only those employed in the City of Westminster.
During the year, Mr. P. A. Lloyd, Senior Public Health Inspector (Food Control) at the invitation
of the Royal Society of Health, presented a paper on "Food Trading in other than Fixed Premises"
to an audience of some 300 persons.
Periodical day courses have also been provided for fourth year Public Health Inspector students
from a London Technical College. Each lecture has included a morning visit to Covent Garden
Market, followed in the afternoon by a discussion on meat and other foods. Demonstrations of
canned goods and other products in which deterioration had taken place were also given.