View report page

17
Common Lodging Houses.—The following table contains all the necessary
particulars with regard to the licensed premises of this class in the borough.

A number of visits were paid to all the houses from time to time by officers of
the department and the attention of the person in charge or the London County
Council directed to any matter calling for remedy.
Underground Rooms.—As close supervision as possible was kept over rooms
of this class, and whenever necessity compelled, notices to discontinue occupation
were served. The total number dealt with in this way was 8.
C.—PREMISES THAT ARE NOT BUT SHOULD BE
REGISTERED.
For a variety of reasons the number of premises in the borough in which
meals are provided or food is sold ready cooked or is prepared fot sale is very
large. At the end of 1927 there were 310, this number including : Restaurant,
dining room and coffee shop kitchens, 194; tea-rooms and pastry-cooks, 68 ; hotel
kitchens, 20; fried fish shops, 24; and fish-curers, 5. In addition, there was a
number of shops in which meat, ham, sausages, etc., were cooked and sold only
over the counter.
On more than one occasion the Borough Council, at the suggestion of the
Public Health Committee, have directed the attention of the Ministry of Health
and the London County Council to the necessity for legislation requiring registration
of food premises of this class. Up to the present no step in this direction
has been taken by either of the authorities mentioned.
The routine practice of visiting a number of restaurants, etc., each week was
continued by the Food Inspector, and any matters discovered dealt with at once.
In 1927 the total number of inspections was 947, the number of notices served
being 25.
Food Stalls —Of these there are considerable numbers in the market streets,
particularly Great Titchfield Street, Bell Street, Church Street, Blandford Street,
etc., though it is hoped that, as a result of the operation of the by-laws relating
to registration of street traders, made by the Council under the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1927, Sec. 36, there will be a diminution in the
amount of food-selling from stalls in the open street. Prior to coming into operation
of these new provisions a great amount of inspection of stalls and of premises
used for food storage was done and a number of improvements obtained.
Definite arrangements are made for the keeping of all stalls used for the
sale of food under close observation. Throughout 1927 visits were paid to all the
market streets every day, a special feature being made of Saturday night and
Sunday morning-inspections.