View report page

13
Sanitary Inspection.
The work of Sanitary Inspection has been carefully and con.
scicntiously carried out throughout the year, a fact of the utmost
importance in view of the overcrowding in Hackney and neighbouring
Boroughs.
If the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, could be amended so
that the conditions described in the Ministry of Health "Manual on
Unfit Houses," as being necessary could be enforced under the Nuisances
sections of this Act, a great step forward would be made.
Section 28 of the Housing and Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, as
amended by Section 10 of the Housing, etc., Act, 1923, does not give
the local authorities power to improve housing to any appreciable
extent unless they are prepared to meet the cost out of the rates. In
order to avoid the difficulties arising, under the Housing and Town
Planning Act the Council has carried out repairs after a Magistrate.s
Order has been obtained under the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, the cost of the work being recovered under the powers contained
in that Act.
Although the work carried out by the Sanitary Inspectors is
of the utmost value in maintaining housing property in a comparatively
decent condition, and in checking the formation of slum
areas, it is not possible to prevent overcrowding, so that the situation
is becoming steadily more difficult in this respect. The extent to
which the careful work of the sanitary inspectors and staff of the
department has neutralised the ill.effects of over.crowding is not
realised. Thus, no fewer than 120 premises have been cleared of
rats, 658 rooms sprayed or otherwise cleared of vermin, 536 rooms
cleansed, 22,194 articles disinfected, 1,320 adults and children
cleansed from parasitic disease, by the staff of the Public Health
Department. The work of sanitary inspection, however, can only be
realised by carefully considering the tables of inspection of food
premises, food seizure, drain testing, sampling, notices served,
nuisances abated and other details of the work of the department set
out in the body of this report.