View report page

14
Public Health
(London) Act,
1891.
The Public Health (London) Law Consolidation
Bill and the Public Health (London)
Law Amendment Bill were introduced into the House of
Commons in February 1891, and referred to the Grand
Committee on Law, with instructions to consolidate them
into one Bill. The following report thereon was made
to the Board by the General Purposes Committee:—
"Your Committee have considered the Public Health (London) Law Consolidation
Bill which has been introduced into Parliament by Mr. Ritchie, President of the
Local Government Board. Your Committee have to report that nearly all the
suggestions made by this Board when the draft Bill was forwarded to them by the
Local Government Board for consideration in February of last year have been
adopted in the Bill as now printed, or provision made therefor in the Amendment
Bill hereinafter reported upon. Your Committee however are of opinion that as
the Bill is intended to consolidate all the existing law relating to sanitary
matters in the Metropolis, it should include the laws relating to the inspection of
bakehouses, which are now administered oy the sanitary authorities. They
accordingly recommend that it be suggested to the Local Government Board that
such laws should be incorporated in the Bill.
"Your Committee have considered the Public Health (London) Law Amendment
Bill, which has been also introduced into Parliament by Mr. Ritchie, and a report
from the Medical Officers of Health thereon. Your Committee approve of many of
the provisions of the Bill, but the following should in their opinion be objected to
by the Board, viz.:—
(a) "Clause 13 (l), which provides that the removal of house and street refuse
by a sanitary authority shall be deemed to be a business within sec. 27
of the Nuisances Removal Act, 1855 (relating to noxious trades), and
that the London County Council may take proceedings with regard
thereto against the sanitary authority.
(b) "Clause 13 (2), which would give the County Council the powers of a
sanitary authority for the purpose of dealing with premises used by a
local sanitary authority for the disposal of street or house refuse.
(c) "Clause 15 continues and extends the liability of occupiers and owners ,
of premises to cleanse the footpaths and wateroourses adjoining their
premises, and clause 16 requires the sanitary authority to secure such
cleansing either by doing the work or by enforcing the discharge of
the duty by occupiers or owners. Your Committee are of opinion that
this work can only be affectually done by the sanitary authority,
and they recommend that Clause 15 should be omitted, and that
Clause 16 should be amended accordingly.
(d) " Clause 16 (3), which imposes a fine of £50 upon a sanitary authority if
a street (including the footway) is not properly swept and cleansed
and the refuse collected and removed therefrom.
(c) "Clause 17 (3), which imposes a fine of £50 upon a sanitary authority if
the house refuse is not removed from any premises at the ordinary
period, or within 24 hours after notioe from the occupier of the
premises; the authority may be ordered to pay in addition 5s. a day
to the occupier while the non-compliance continues.