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Slum Clearance
The Public Health Committee at its March meeting considered the
Circular of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in which
local authorities were given further guidance about the next phase
of the task of slum clearance.
The Ministry estimated that by the time the present five year programme
ended on 31st December, 1960, more than a quarter of a
million houses would have been demolished or closed.
The Minister suggested that local authorities should take stock of
their individual progress and submit details of their position to him.
The Medical Officer of Health reported upon the present position
and the Committee resolved (i) That the Minister be informed that
this Authority has substantially completed its first five year slum
clearance programme and is preparing further proposals (ii) That the
Medical Officer of Health report in due course on the properties to
be dealt with under the next stage of the slum clearance programme.
RENT ACT, 1957
Interest in this Act, from the point of view of obtaining rent relief
for dilapidations, etc., has almost completely died out—only 3 applications
for Certificates of Disrepair being received during 1963.
A remarkable point is that since the inception of the Act in July
1957, of 41 Certificates issued only 25 have subsequently been
cancelled on application by the landlord. The implication is that
landlords are content to receive low rentals rather than carry out
minor repairs. Where serious defects were brought to the notice of
the Authority, remedial action was taken under other statutory
powers.
Other figures in connection with this Act are set out in the following
table—the figures for 1959 being in brackets:
Part I—Applications for Certificates of Disrepair
1. Number of applications for Certificates (7) 3
2. Number of decisions not to issue Certificates (Nil) Nil
3. Number of decisions to issue Certificates (Form J) (8) 4
(a) in respect of some but not all defects (6) 1
(b) in respect of all defects (2) 3
4. Number of undertakings given by landlord (Form K) (4) 3
5. Number of undertakings refused by local authority (Nil) Nil
6. Number of Certificates issued (Form L) (4) Nil
Part II—Applications for cancellation of Certificates
7. Applications by landlords to local authority for
cancellation of Certificates (Form M) (15) 2
8. Objections by tenants to cancellation of Certificates (5) 1
9. Decisions by local authority to cancel in spite of
tenants' objections (2) Nil
10. Certificates cancelled by local authority (10) 1
15