London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1902
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Metropolitan borough. | Population (1901). | Number of inhabited houses (1901). | Tenements (1901). | Number of house now on register. | Number newly entered on register during present year. | Frequency with which registered houses are inspected. | Are the registered bouses inspected by special officers, and if so how many are employed on this duty and on what other duties, if any, are they engaged ? | Number of proceedings instituted under the by-laws before the magistrate during the present year— (à) Concerning cleansing. (á) „ overcrowding. (c) ,, other matters. | Date when by-laws were confirmed. | Whether by-laws contain rent-limits or other exemption. | Whether, and if so what, difficulties have been experienced in the administration of the by-laws in respect of definition of landlord, rent-limits of exemption or any other matter. | Remarks. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number. | Less than 5 rooms. | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | _ 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Shoreditch | 118,637 | 12,743 | 27,031 | 22,940 | 190 | 16 | Varies according to circumstances. Some are more frequently visited than others. There is no rule as to the number of visits | Registered houses let in lodgings are under the supervision of the chief sanitary inspector | None | 20-7-94 | (See by-law II.)† | So far, no special difficulty has been met with. | |
| South wark | 206,180 | 20,878 | 47,808 | 39,612 | 1,005 | 133 | Some are visited once a week; others only once in three months | Yes. Two women inspectors are employed. | Proceedings have been taken in— (a) 5 (6) 0 (c) 7 | 20-11-02 | Yes† | No difficulties have arisen in the administration of the by-laws during the year. | |
| Stepney | 298,600 | 31,462 | 61,113 | 49,182 | 1,353 | 1,353 | No specified time | Two | (c) 2 | 24-7-02 | No | In the question of "landlord" when the agent who receives the rent is changed often. By-laws not been in operation sufficient time to give particulars. | The two special inspectors have only recently been appointed, and all those houses that were formerly on the register are being re-registered. By the end of the year probably 2,000 at least will be on the register. The houses previouslv on the register have been re-registered by the Council under the new by-laws during the present year. |
| Stoke Newington | 51,247 | 7,717 | 11,824 | 5,813 | 119 | 17 | Twice a year | No | None | 15-8-95 | Yes† | None. | |
| 25-1-00 | |||||||||||||
| (amending clause as to exemption) | |||||||||||||
| W ands worth | 232,034 | 37,764 | 49,756 | 21,052 | 116 | 49 | Twice a year | Inspected by sanitary inspectors | None | 9-8-93 | Yes† | Difficulties have arisen this year in respect of definition of "Landlord." In some cases the owner lets to one person and the latter sub-lets one or two flats to other tenants. Where the owner lets to separate tenants there has been no difficulty. | Other 27 houses have been ordered to be placed on the register by the borough council, but the owners object and the matter is now under consideration. |
| Westminster (City of) | 183,011 | 18,366 | 41,244 | 26,668 | 2,004 | — | Some weekly others monthly, twice a year, or once a year | • In the case of the weekly and monthly houses one special officer is employed. He generally assists the inspectors- | No proceedings have been taken directly under the by- laws, but a number of registered houses have been the subject of proceedings under the Public Health Act and the Housing of the Working Classes Act | 26-6-84 Yes† (St. Martin-in-the-Fields) 30-11-93 Yes† (St. Margaret, Westminister) 16-1-95 (See by-law II.)† (St. James, West minster) 10-12-94 (See by-law H.)‡ (St. Geo rge, Han over- square) 12-7-94 (See by-law II.)† (Str and) | The borough council is still in communication with the Local Government Board on the question of rent limits with reference to new by-laws which have been submitted but not yet approved. The delay has interfered with the work which might be done under the by-laws, and has prevented houses being placed on the register. | ||
| Woolwich | 117,178 | 18,086 | 24,585 | 14,017 | 117 | 21 | Some every three months. Some every six months | There is a special inspector for (1) Registered houses in Woolwich parish; about four-fifths of the total (2) Food inspection (3) A small district | 16-11-95* (See by- lawIII.)§ (Wool wich) 2-7-94 (See by- lawIII.)§ (Plum stead) | No actual difficulty in administration as to definition of "landlord," but much discussion and uncertainty. As regards rent-limits of exemption, the by-laws do not apply in this district to any house until the Council has resolved to register such house. A report by the medical officer i of health is, however, awaiting consideration, which recommends that the by-laws should be re-drafted so as to apply to all houses below a certain rental occupied by two and more families. Revised by-laws under the consideration of the Local Government Board. | |||
* Woolwich also includes the district of Eltham, which prior to 1899 was in the Lee district. By-laws containing rent-limits of
exemption were made by the Lee District Board in 1895.
† Rent limits of exemption.
‡ Until the landlord has been required to furnish a statement as to certain particulars.
§ Houses with respect to which it shall have been reported by the Public Health Committee that such house ought to be
registered.