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
Ealing 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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magistrates in successful prosecutions for contraventions of Directions made under
Section 19 as "business expenses and also the Acts contain no powers for making
the persistent disregard of a Direction a continuing offence. A further prosecution
can only be taken if different individuals are involved. There seems little likelihood
that Section 19 will be amended in the near future to close this obvious deficiency in
the legislation available.
The Council will, I am sure, be watching with interest the effect of the implementation
of the Birmingham Corporation Act, 1965, which gives that authority power to
require the registration of existing houses in multiple occupation and the prior
registration of houses which it was proposed to use for multiple occupation. The
Act contains no more effective method of dealing with established multiple occupation
than existing general legislation, but it will enable the Birmingham Corporation to
exercise greater control over proposed use and to require works in advance of
occupation and to fix limits as to the number of individuals and families who should
live in the houses. Penalties for contraventions of the Act are severe. It would
seem that the Act is in the nature of an experiment which could possibly be used
nationally when the Minister has had time to study its effect and usefulness.
86
Action taken during the year to enforce the provisions of the Housing Acts relating to houses in multiple occupation in this Borough is summarized in the table which follows:—
| Directions given during the year | 255 |
| Prosecutions for contravention of Directions | 7 |
| Total number of Directions in force at end of year | 839 |
| Informal notices to improve facilities and means of escape in case of fire | 46 |
| Overcrowding notices | 21 |
| Prosecutions for contravention of overcrowding notices | 24 |
| Notices requiring information as to occupants | 540 |
| Prosecutions for failure to supply information | 4 |
| Prosecution for obstruction of public health inspector | 1 |
| Total number of visits and inspections | 2,304 |
The following table gives details of action taken during the year to deal with the abatement of overcrowding:—
| 32 | |
| (2) Number of families dwelling there in | 98 |
| (3) Number of persons dwelling therein | 526 |
| 35 | |
| (c) (1) Number of cases of overcrowding relieved during year | 19 |
| (2) Number of persons concerned in such cases | 93 |
| — | |
| (e) Any other particulars with respect to overcrowding conditions upon which the Medical Officer of Health may consider it desirable to report | — |
MORTGAGE ENQUIRIES
If multiple occupation is involved, the Greater London Council requires persons,
who apply to that authority for mortgages, to obtain statements from local authorities
of any additional facilities or other work which may be required under the Housing
Act, 1961. This results in many enquiries from solicitors acting for prospective