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30
THE ABATEMENT OF OVERCROWDING.
It must be realised that to abate the overcrowding, the Council
must adopt a different standard from that required in Section 2
of the Housing Act, 1935, viz., that in Section 37 of the Housing
Act, 1930. This follows from the definition of the words "suitable
alternative accommodation" in Section 12 of the 1935 Act. This
is as follows :—
"Suitable alternative accommodation" means, in relation
to the occupier of a dwelling-house, a dwelling-house as to
which the following conditions are satisfied, that is to say—-
(a) the house must be a house in which the occupier and
his family can live without causing it to be overcrowded
;
(b) the local authority must certify the house to be suitable
to the needs of the occupier and his family as respects
security of tenure and proximity to place of work,
and otherwise to be suitable in relation to his means;
and
(c) if the house belongs to the local authority, they must
certify it to be suitable to the needs of the occupier
and his family as respects extent of accommodation
having regard to the standard specified in paragraph (ii)
of Section thirty-seven of the Act of 1930.
In order that the Members of the Council may realise the
position, I quote Section 2 of the Housing Act, 1935, with the
Schedules in connection therewith, and Section 37 of the Housing
Act, 1930:—
Section 2.
A dwelling-house shall be deemed for the purpose of this Act
to be overcrowded at any time when the number of persons sleeping
in the house either—
(a) is such that any two of these persons, being persons ten
years old or more of opposite sexes and not being persons
living together as husband and wife, must sleep in the
same room; or
(b) is, in relation to the number and floor area of the rooms of
which the house consists, in excess of the permitted number
of persons as defined in the First Schedule of this Act.