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SECTION D.—HOUSING.
Inspection of Dwelling-houses.—Number of houses inspected for defects under the Public Health or Housing
Acts—1,656 ; number of inspections made—4,801 number of houses found not to be in all respects reasonably fit
for human habitation—280; number of defective houses rendered fit in consequence of informal action—337;
number of houses in which defects were remedied by owners after service of formal notices under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1936—12 ; number of underground rooms in respect of which closing orders were made—3.
Common Lodging Houses.—Thirty-seven visits were paid to the two lodging houses in the Borough : one, registered
for 436 men, owned by the Salvation Army and situated at No. 2, Burne Street and premises in Lisson Street; the
other, accommodating 100 women, conducted by the Church Army at Portman House, Daventry Street and Harrow
Street.
War-Damaged Dwellings.—To ascertain their fitness or otherwise for habitation, inspections of 352 premises
damaged as a result of enemy action were carried out and reports submitted to the War Damage Department.
Public Air-Raid Shelters.—A number of people continued to use the shelters as sleeping places from time to time,
and 917 inspections were made by day and night.
SECTION E.—INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
Milk Supply.—There are 166 premises upon which milk is sold. Inspections made numbered 327.
During the year 34 applications under the Milk (Special Designations) Orders, 1936 and 1938, were received from
16 milk purveyors and licences were granted as follows : 1 pasteurising, 19 dealers and 2 supplementary in the case of
pasteurised milk ; 1 bottling, 10 dealers and 1 supplementary in respect of tuberculin tested milk.
The average composition of the 127 samples of milk analysed was : total solids, 12.31% ; fat, 3.58% ; solids not
fat, 8.73%.
Thirty samples of milk were submitted to bacteriological examination, and all were found to comply with the Ministry
of Health standard.
Meat and other Foods.—Unsound Food.—Some 9 tons of food condemned as unfit for human consumption
included the following : meat, 17 cwts., 5 lbs. ; fish, 16 cwts., 2 qtrs., 18 lbs. ; fruit, 9 cwts., 19 lbs. ; vegetables,
14 cwts., 2 qtrs., 18 lbs. ; cereals, 2 qtrs., 25 lbs. ; canned goods, 8,733 tins ; miscellaneous, 11 cwts., 7 lbs.
Practically all this unsound food was salvaged and diverted to other uses.
Slaughterhouses.—The only licensed slaughterhouse in the Borough is that at the Zoological Society's premises in
Regent's Park. The slaughtering done is for the food of the animals in the gardens and humane killers are used. Six
inspections were made. Two licences to slaughter or stun animals, granted to skilled slaughtermen, were renewed.
Food Premises.—At the end of 1942, 109 premises were registered for the preparation or manufacture of foods (other
than ice cream) intended for sale, and 201 inspections were made.
Ice Cream Premises.—The number of premises on the register was 71, and 140 inspections were made.
Butter and Margarine Premises.—At the end of the year there were on the register 16 dealers in margarine, 1
wholesale dealer in milk-blended butter and 2 butter manufacturers. Fifty-six inspections were made.
Bakehouses.—Number on register 31, 23 being underground bakehouses ; 126 inspections were made.
Fried Fish Vendors and Fish Curers.—The number'of premises used by vendors of fried fish is 11 and by fish
curers 3. Twenty-six inspections of fried fish shops and 24 inspections of fish curers' premises were carried out.
Restaurants, Tea-Rooms, etc.—Premises in which meals are provided or food is sold already cooked or is prepared
for sale numbered 192, including restaurant and dining-room kitchens, 140 ; tea-rooms and pastry-cookshops, 40 ;
hotel kitchens, 12 : 675 inspections were made and 12 notices served.
Bacteriological Examinations.—Apart from milk, one sample each of canned peas, pressed beef, meat roll, cooked
salmon, canned chopped ham and canned cheese was examined bacteriologicall.v and reported to be satisfactory.
A sample of pork, affected with multiple cysts, was declared to be unfit for human consumption, and the whole carcase
and offal were salvaged for manufacturing purposes.
Food and Drugs Act, 1938.—Samples taken under the Act numbered 700 (54 formal, 646 informal) and included :
milk 127, butter 154, margarine 20, cheese 16. The sum paid in respect of each analysis was 12s. 6d. Three samples
were found to be under standard : 2 samples (1 formal, 1 informal) of plum jam were each 3% deficient in soluble
solids, and a warning was issued to the manufacturers ; 1 informal sample of saccharin tablets was deficient in
saccharin to the extent of 63% of the minimum limit of the Saccharin (Control and Maximum Prices) Order, 1941,
and action in this instance was taken by the Food Executive Officer. A fourth sample (formal), purchased as olive oil,
was found to consist entirely of arachis (pea-nut) oil ; the vendor was prosecuted and fined £10 with £5 5s. Od. costs.
At the end of the year five premises appeared on the register of premises where artificial cream is manufactured,
sold or exposed or kept for sale for human consumption. In no instance was action under the statute necessary.