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and would eventually result in a considerable thinning down of the number
of individuals living in the area.
(2) A house in multiple occupation is one which is occupied by members of
more than one family or which is let in lodgings. There is however, a lack
of precise definition in the Housing Acts of the term "family". This has
always caused difficulty which has been accentuated by a recent interpretation
by the Court of Appeal in the case of the Royal Borough of Kensington
and Chelsea v Holm. Until a more positive definition of "family" can be
established the Council will continue to have difficulty especially in
houses occupied by Asian immigrants. It is found that there is an almost
indefinite degree of inter-relation between individual families in a house
owing to the customs of the communities from which they come and the fact
that they frequently originate from the same villages.
(3) Any scheme of registration similar to that envisaged by the Housing Acts,
1961 and 1964, or to the scheme operating in Birmingham under the
Birmingham Corporation Act, 1966, would not help to solve the housing
problem in Southall.The normal exemption of a house with up to two families
or up to four lodgers would certainly take many of the houses in Southall
out of such a scheme completely.
These deficiencies have been considered frequently by the Environmental Health
Committee and representations have been made from time to time to the Ministry of
Housing and Local Government. In January, Mr. Mellish, Joint Parliamentary Secretary
of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government received a deputation from the
Council. The various difficulties I have detailed above were brought to the attention
of the Minister. He advised the Council's representatives that his Ministry had completed
a study of the subject and that he accepted the views put forward by the
Council. The Ministry were now undertaking a review of the existing legislation and
as soon as parliamentary time permitted the Government would put before Parliament
proposals to give local authorities further powers to deal with the problem. The
Council subsequently urged the Minister to endeavour to expedite this new
legislation.
Details of action taken over the last five years in connection with houses in
multiple occupation in the area which is now the London Borough of Ealing are as
follows:-
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