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24
SECTION C.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA.
The Chief Public Health Inspector reports as follows: —
"Food and Drugs and Food Hygiene.
Perhaps the most important piece of legislation dealing with public
health is the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, which, as the preamble indicates,
is 'An Act to Consolidate the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, the Food and
Drugs (Milk Dairies and Artificial Cream) Act, 1950 and the Food and
Drugs Amendment Act, 1954, together with certain other enactments
amending and supplementing Part V of the Act of 1938 in relation to
Slaughterhouses.' Whilst we in llford are not gravely concerned with
slaughterhouse administration, we are nevertheless interested in the Hygienic
handling of meat for human consumption, hence the policy of requiring
that slaughterhouses be so situated and constructed as to afford speedy and
healthy conditions in the supply of the nation's meat foods. Of greater
direct interest to llford are the Food Hygiene Regulations, 1955, made on
16th December, 1955 and operative on 1st January, 1956, though some
clauses relating to provision of equipment and structures will not become
effective until 1st July, 1956. Opinions among public health officials on
the Regulations have varied; some considered they are attenuated in form
and difficult of administration, whilst others deem them far-reaching and
'of vast potentiality' for securing marked improvement of hygiene in the
catering industry. The Sanitary Inspectorate of the Council feel that so
important an industry should not be unduly hampered by unreasonable
restrictions but should be controlled in those aspects of the trade which
bear on human health. They therefore consider that the Regulations afford
a means of securing public benefit without the imposition of strict police
supervisory powers. It is felt that by co-operation between the Public
Health Department and the trade, by an expansion of the already extensive
education of food handlers in sound hygienic handling of food principles,
by the maintenance of the existing system of inspection of food
premises, together with the furnishing of advice to all engaged in food
handling in all its forms, whether 'master or servant,' all of which are
calculated to obviate the enforcement of the legal sanctions contained in
this importance piece of delegated legislation, the danger to the public
health from contaminated food will be negligible. Time and expense will
determine the Act's efficacy.
Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954—(Certificates of Disrepair).
After great political controversy, Parliament placed on the Statute
Book this Act, contemplating that it would (a) afford house owners an
opportunity of increasing rents by prescribed amounts after serving written
notices on the tenant that they had carried out works of repair to the
statutory amount and thereby (b) enable owners to maintain the properties
in a reasonable state of fitness for habitation by utilising the increase of
rent thus secured for this mirDose.

From these returns it can be assumed that the notices required to be
served under the Housing Act and the Public Health Act have not been
reduced very markedly.
The figures would also indicate that either (a) the tenants of rented
houses in llford are satisfied that the standard of fitness for habitation is
reasonable—a proposition I adhere to. or (b) that the landlord is unable to
increase the rent because he has not incurred the qualifying repairs expenditure
or that the existing rent does not permit of a very great increase.