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Public Health Inspection of the Area -1962
Report of Chief Public Health Inspector
The work of the Public Health Inspectorate in relation to the environmental health
services is set out in tabular and statistical form in the following pages. There are,
however, a number of statistics which require summarising in order to present an intelligible
picture, and other matters of a topical interest which are worthy of further
elaboration.
HOUSING - SLUM CLEARANCE - NUISANCE ABATEMENT
The statutory duties and responsibilities of the Public Health inspectorate in relation
to existing housing accommodation is concerned generally with the repair,
demolition or closure of unfit houses, slum clearance and other matters arising from
the issue of Certificates of Disrepair under the Rent Act, nuisance abatement and smoke
control areas. Of these duties, none bring the Inspector closer to sociological problems
of the community than those concerned with obsolescent housing, and more especially,
houses which are "let in lodgings", or to use the terminology of the Housing Act, 1961,
"Houses in Multiple Occupation". Multiple Occupation is a new name for an old problem,
a problem which is concerned basically with the serious shortage of housing accommodation.
The ever increasing number of people who for various reasons are unable to rent
or purchase a house of their own seem to be fair game for the type of person who seeks
to exploit the housing shortage by acquiring large obsolete houses, and letting off
rooms to individuals or families, quite often without any adaptation to the structure,
or the provision of additional facilities and amenities to meet the basic needs of the
occupants. The plight of tenants occupying such accommodation is precarious, to say the
least; because of the absence of rent control and security of tenure, they seem to be
reluctant, if not afraid, to complain about the excessively high rents which may be
charged, or to co-operate with the Local Authority in enforcing the owner to provide
essential sanitary facilities, in case their action or their complaints should lead to
eviction.
In the circular (16/62) issued to Local Authorities in April of this year, the
Ministry of Housing and Local Government drew attention to new powers contained in the
Housing Act, 1961, and the Housing (Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation) Regulations,
1962. These powers fall into four main groups:
(i) An entirely new power to apply a code of management to individual
houses in which proper standards of management have not been observed.
(ii) Stronger powers to require the provision of additional facilities and
amenities essential to decent living conditions, and the provision of
adequate means of escape from fire.
(iii) A new power for Local Authorities to carry out works themselves in
default, and recover the cost.
(iv) A power, also new, to make a direction order limiting the number of
persons who may live in a house or part of a house which is in multiple
occupation.
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