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73
PROPOSED DEVOLUTION OF DUTIES.
(Special Report presented to the Council on October 3rd,
1907.)
The Metropolitan City and Borough Councils are the
Sanitary Authorities for the Administrative County of
London, and the London County Council is not a Sanitary
Authority. All duties devolving upon the Sanitary Authorities
under the various Acts relating to the Public Health,
such as the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, the Sale of
Food and Drugs Acts, 1875-1899, the Factory and Workshops
Act, 1891, etc., should be left to the Metropolitan City
and Borough Councils to carry out in so far as the Administrative
County of London is concerned, powers to act in
default being exercised by the London County Council (as
regards the Public Health Act, 1891), the Local Government
Board, and the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries (as
regards the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts and the Factory
and Workshops Act respectively).
This principle was laid down again by the Legislature
with respect to London, when the Local Government Act of
1899 became law, and an endeavour was made to simplify in
this way administrative procedure by transferring from the
London County Council further powers (vide Section 5 and
Schedule 2, Part I, of the London Government Act of 1899).
The powers of the London County Council which were
transferred, had reference to the licensing of wooden structures,
the removal of unauthorised sky signs and obstructions
in streets, the registration of dairymen, and the supervision
of common lodging houses, whilst the powers of the
London County Council in Part 3 of the Housing of the
Working Classes Act, 1890, were also given concurrently to
the Metropolitan City and Borough Councils. Further,
under Section 6, Sub-section 4, it is made the duty of the
Metropolitan City and Borough Councils to enforce, within
their respective districts, the bye-laws and regulations for
the time being in force with respect to dairies and milk,
made under the Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops Orders,
and with respect to slaughter-houses, knackers' yards, and
offensive businesses.