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Having regard to these other considerations, it seems to me probable that the Committee
would prefer to consider a plan for the gradual development of the Hospital to its full needs. I would
accordingly suggest for the consideration of the Committee :—
(1) That they build at the present time a nurses' home to accommodate 40 nurses.
(2) That they ask the Engineer to report on the heating and hot-water arrangements at the
Hospital with a view to unification at the present time and provision for meeting the needs
of the new nurses' home and 3 additional cubicle wards.
(3) That at later dates the Council provide the 3 additional cubicle wards—10 cubicles in each
ward—as may be considered desirable.
Suggested Visits.
Recently new nurses' homes have been established at a number of hospitals and I would suggest
that the Committee visit the following:—
Mogden Isolation Hospital.
Westminster General Hospital.
Romford Isolation Hospital.
GEORGE F. BUCHAN,
Medical Officer of Health.
5th April, 1938.
APPENDIX J.
Sanitary Work.
MEMORANDUM BY THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH.
Overcrowding.
The Committee will remember that I reported on the 8th June, 1937, on matters relating
to overcrowding and basement dwellings. The Committee then decided that landlords should receive
intimation of the " permitted number " of persons permitted to occupy their houses and for that
purpose a temporary clerk and a temporary typist were retained until the 31st March, 1938.
Landlords have now been notified in respect of 40,000 dwellings and approximately 2,000
notifications have still to go out. It will be understood that with the ever-changing allocation of
rooms to tenants in sub-let houses it can never be said of this work that it is finished.
The position in Willesden is that any overcrowding which has come into being since the 1st
July, 1937, is an offence under the Housing Act of 1936. In addition, of course, any family which
remains overcrowded after suitable alternative accommodation has been offered is liable to prosecution.
The Committee will also remember that they gave instructions for letters to be sent to landlords
of houses from which overcrowded families were removed and to the agents of multiple properties
asking for their co-operation in connection with re-letting so as to relieve or avoid overcrowding.
A number of letters from landlords have been received indicating that they are prepared to assist
the Council in this matter. Nevertheless, according to the records kept by the Department some
1,572 families are still overcrowded within the meaning of the Act.
Basement Dwellings.
The Committee will also remember that they gave instructions for this work to be begun and
to be carried out within the limits of their powers under the Housing Act, 1936. It was begun on
6th July, 1937, and up to 22nd March, 1938, 78 basement rooms have been closed, of which 23 rooms
have been vacated. 88 basement rooms have been made to comply with the Council's Regulations
and 5 basement rooms have been permitted by the Committee to be used for purposes other than
for living. There still, however, remain 270 basement rooms used as dwellings which are likely to be
closed. These will result in about 162 families having to seek other accommodation.
(Note.—It should be noted that even after the work of closing basements has been completed
there will still be some 1,395 basement rooms remaining in use as dwellings in conformity with the
regulations as to underground rooms.)
Attic Rooms.
So far Closing Orders have been made on 8 attic rooms. It is not possible to say how many
attic rooms will be found not to comply with the Council's Bye-laws as the result of routine inspection
and measurement but probably in the region of 600.