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ADMINISTRATION OF THE SHOPS ACTS
The general arrangements for the administration of the Shops Acts were
set out on page 43 of my report for 1935.
There are about 700 shops in Southall, and legislation in recent years
has been both progressive and rapid. There is therefore still a considerable
amount of routine work which requires to be done in the district to bring the
local standard up to the advantages allowed by the Acts.
Unfortunately there was a gap of two or three months during the year
between the resignation of the first Shops Inspector and the appointment of
his successor, and this, of course, meant still further piling up of work. Very
little has been done as a consequence in such matters as the inspection of shops
with regard to heating and lighting and the agreement of standards for these
two important environmental conditions.
Much attention was paid during the year to the provisions of the Acts
dealing with sanitary conveniences, and in March, 1936, the Council decided
that the criteria in this work should be as follows:—
(1) for the purposes of sub-section (2) of section 10 of the Act, separate
sanitary conveniences be required where persons of both sexes, other
than members of one family, are employed about the business of a
shop ;
(2) alternative sanitary accommodation shall not be considered to be
conveniently available for the purposes of sub-section (6) of section 10
of the Act if situate at a greater distance than approximately fifty
yards from the shop;
(3) that public conveniences be not regarded as providing conveniently
available sanitary accommodation;
(4) that in any application for a certificate of exemption from the
provisions of section 10 (2) of the Shops Act, 1934, on the grounds
(inter alia) that suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences are
available otherwise than at the premises the subject of the
application, documentary evidence to this effect be required.
On the 28th December, 1936, the maximum working hours where
young persons (i.e., persons under the age of 18) were employed were reduced
to 48 a week, the transitional period of two years during which a higher number
of hours were allowed having expired. A circular letter was sent to all shopkeepers
in Southall employing young persons acquainting them with this
alteration in the law.
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