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

Marylebone 1935

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]

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72
In the absence of any definite instructions the cases which were shown to be
definitely overcrowded on Form A have not been surveyed and measured and empty
premises have not been recorded on Form C.
Reviewing the results of the Survey, it should be possible to estimate within
certain limits the accommodation required to abate the overcrowding ascertained,
amounting according to the Survey to 10% of the families dealt with.
Generally with regard to the Survey, it proceeded smoothly from the start,
the enumerators and the survey assistants, supervised in their work by the District
Inspectors, carried out their duties well and met with very little difficulty in obtaining
admission to the tenements and next to no opposition in getting the information
required as to the number of persons occupying the premises under review. The
clerical staff were most helpful in dealing with the matters arising out of the analyses
of the enumeration and survey forms and with the compilation of the various returns.
The standard of overcrowding adopted under the Act is based upon three
factors :—
APPENDIX
HOUSING ACT, 1935—OVERCROWDING SURVEY.

Table: (a)Table II.

(a)

Table II.

Number of habitable rooms occupied by a family.Number of persons permitted.
Actual.Reduced.
1211/2
23
354
471/26
5108
61291/2
and two persons extra for each additional room. No room under 50 square feet to be counted.

Table: *Note.—This table is based on the assumption that in the ordinary dwelling some of the rooms will be below 110 square feet in area and that consequently the permitted number ascertained solely from the number of rooms, without regard to their size, would normally be in excess of the exact permitted number of persons in respect of a given premises. The allowance for this factor in this table is about one-fifth.(b)Table II.

*Note.—This table is based on the assumption that in the ordinary dwelling some of the rooms will be below 110 square feet in area and that consequently the permitted number ascertained solely from the number of rooms, without regard to their size, would normally be in excess of the exact permitted number of persons in respect of a given premises. The allowance for this factor in this table is about one-fifth.

(b)

Table II.

Size of room.Permitted number.
110 square feet or over2
90 square feet or over but under 110 square feet11/2
70 square feet or over but under 90 square feet1
50 square feet or over but under 70 square feet1/2
Under 50 square feetNil.