London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Richmond upon Thames 1971
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond]
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| 3. Number of decisions to issue Certificates: | 1957/63 | 1964/70 | 1971 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) in respect of some but not all defects | 520 | 10 | 1 |
| (b) in respect of all defects | 124 | 15 | 1 |
| 4. Number of undertakings given by landlords under paragraph 5 of the First Schedule | 415 | 16 | - |
| 5. Number of undertakings refused by Local Authority under proviso to paragraph 5 of the First Schedule | 3 | 4 | - |
| 6. Number of Certificates issued | 252 | 13 | 2 |
| Applications for Cancellation of Certificates : | |||
| 7. Applications by landlords to Local Authority for cancellation of certificates | 134 | 23 | 1 |
| 8. Objections by tenants to cancellation of certificates | 54 | 3 | - |
| 9. Decisions by Local Authority to cancel in spite of tenant's objection | 18 | 3 | - |
| 10. Certificates cancelled by Local Authority | 98 | 23 | |
| 1 | |||
(4) Qualification Certificates
Part III of the Housing Act, 1969 provides a procedure whereby an owner of a rent
controlled property may apply to the local authority for a qualification certificate to
enable the rent to be regulated in accordance with the Rent Act, 1968. A qualification
certificate may be issued by the local authority only if the statutory conditions are satisfied,
namely —
(a) that the dwelling is provided with all the standard amenities for the exclusive
use of the occupants;
(b) that the dwelling is in good repair having regard to its age, character and
locality, and
(c) that the dwelling is in all other respects fit for human habitation.
Applications made by owners, as shown below, have required the complete inspection
of these dwellings by district public health inspectors to ensure that the qualifying conditions
have been satisfied; further reinspections have been made in cases where the
application has been held in abeyance while the owner has carried out essential works of
repair to enable the qualifying conditions to be met.
The position at the end of 1971 was as follows :
Number of applications received 1299
Number of certificates issued 596
(5) Medical Priorities
During the year 72 families who had been given priority on medical grounds were
rehoused whilst a further 113 families were recommended for preferential treatment.
The difficulty in rehousing many of these cases lies, of course, in the shortage of the
particular type of accommodation required viz: ground floor flats, warden-controlled
flats, etc.
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