Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stoke Newington, The Metropolitan Borough]
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authority may inspect and, after 24 hours service of a notice in writing
to occupier, may specify the necessary works to be carried out within a
period of 21 days, and in case of default the authority may do the
work and recover costs; here again the appeal is to the L.G.B., and
these new functions of the Board should lead to an increase in
administrative uniformity and efficiency. In the case of houses
intended for the working classes the bye-laws at present in force with
respect to houses or parts of houses let in lodgings or occupied by
members of more than one family, may be extended to impose any
duty which involves the execution of work upon the owner of the
property. Where an owner on other person, is in default, the council
may, after 21 days' notice in writing, themselves execute the work and
recover the costs. The time within which, when a closing order has
become operative, an occupying tenant with his family can be required
to cease to inhabit the house in respect of which an order has been
made, is increased by seetion 17 (4a) from 7 to 14 days after service
of notice; and the tenant who makes default, instead of being subjected
to a fine, as heretofore, will be liable to, have a summary order to
quit made against him. The local authority may make a reasonable
allowance to any tenant on account of his expenses in removing;
the amount of the allowance will be primarily determinable by the
local authority with the owner's consent, though in default of such
consent it will be fixed by a Court of Summary Jurisdiction; but an
allowance for expenses of removal is not to be given if the house has
been made unfit for habitation by the wilful act or default of the
tenant, or of some one for whom, as between himself and the owner
or landlord, he is responsible (Sub-section 5). The local authority
must, under Sub-section (6), determine a closing order made by them
if they are satisfied that the dwelling-house has been rendered fit for
human habitation; and the owner is given a right of appeal to the
Board against a refusal on the part of the authority so to do. A
Court of Summary Jurisdiction will no longer have power to enlarge
the time for the execution of any works under a closing order
(Section 21).