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(b).—Proceedings under Public Health Acts:
(1) Dwelling-houses in respect of which notices were served requiring
defects to be remedied 264
(2) Dwelling-houses in which defects were remedied after service of formal
notices:—
(a) By owners 235
(b) By Local Authority in default of owners —
(c).—Proceedings under sections 11 and 13 of the Housing Act, 1936 :
(1) Dwelling-houses in respect of which Demolition Orders were made —
(2) Dwelling-houses demolished in pursuance of Demolition Orders —
(d).—Proceedings under section 12 of the Housing Act, 1936:
(1) Separate tenements or underground rooms in respect of which Closing
Orders were made 65
(2) Closing Orders determined, the tenement or room having been made fit 6
Closing Orders on Houses.—Section 10 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act,
1953, enables a local authority to make a closing order, instead of a demolition order under section 11
of the Housing Act, 1936, where a demolition order is inexpedient because of the effect of demolition
on another house or buildings. During the year one such closing order was made on a twelve-roomed
house.
Underground Rooms.—Closing orders under section 12 of the Housing Act, 1936, were made on sixtyfive
rooms, and six orders, involving thirteen rooms, were determined.
Re-Housing.—During the year, 459 enquiries were received from the Borough Council's Housing
Director, the London County Council and other local authorities, regarding the circumstances of
persons applying for re-housing. Nearly all requests necessitated investigation by a sanitary inspector
before the enquirer could be provided with a report to assist him in assessing the order of priority of
the various applicants. The Medical Officer of Health considered 332 confidential medical certificates
submitted in support of applications for re-housing.
The occupants of rooms upon which closing orders are made receive additional "points" which
increase their degree of priority for re-housing, and until they obtain other accommodation the
operation of the closing orders remains in abeyance.
Immigrants.—Under an arrangement which has operated for the past six years, the London Commissioner
of the Cyprus Government, with the object of avoiding possible overcrowding by sponsored
immigrants from Cyprus, consulted the Medical Officer of Health on twenty-three occasions regarding
the suitability of accommodation offered by Cypriots residing in St. Marylebone to their compatriots.
In twenty of these cases (involving thirty-one immigrants) the accommodation was of the standard
required by the Housing Act, 1936, but in the other three it was reported that overcrowding would
result.
Common Lodging Houses.—Seventeen inspections were made of the two lodging houses, one of which
is run by the Salvation Army at No. 2, Burne Street and premises in Lisson Street to accommodate
391 men ; the other, conducted by the Church Army at Portman House, No. 10, Daventry Street,
is registered for 85 women.
At the quarterly fire inspections it was found that the fire-fighting equipment provided and the
precautions taken were satisfactory in both lodging houses.
Rent Restrictions Acts.—In the first eight months of the year one disrepair certificate only was issued.
During the remainder of the year the new procedure under the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954
applied.
Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954.—This much-publicised Act, which came into operation on
the 30th August, 1954, allows the landlord of a dwelling-house subject to rent control to charge a
repairs increase after complying with conditions dealing with the state of repair of the house and its
suitability for occupation. The Act provides that before charging a repairs increase the landlord must
serve notice on the tenant, who can apply to the local authority for a certificate of disrepair on the
grounds that the house is not in a state of good repair or reasonably suitable for occupation. The