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112
the duty of every local authority to take such steps as may be
necessary to secure as far as practicable that their district is kept
free from rats and mice, and in particular:—
(а) From time to time to carry out such inspections as may
be necessary;
(b) To destroy rats and mice on any land of which they are
occupiers;
(c) To enforce the duties laid upon owners and occupiers under
the provisions of Part I of the Act, and to carry out operations
authorised by those provisions.
Local authorities are required to keep such records and to make
such reports relating to their functions under the Act as may be
required by the Minister.
Occupiers of land—other than agricultural land—are required
to give notice in writing to the local authority of infestat ion of their
land by rats and mice "in substantial numbers."
Local authorities may by notice require the owners or occupiers
of land to take such reasonable steps as they may specify for the
destruction of, and for keeping the land free from, rats and mice.
The notice may require the application of any form of treatment
and the carrying out of any structural repairs specified in the
notice.
In default the local authority may themselves take the steps
prescribed by the notice and may recover the expenses reasonably
incurred in so doing.
The department continues to give considerable attention to the
problem of rat infestation and whilst we are still far from being
able to say that the borough is free from rats there is every reason to
hope that the continuance of the methods adopted will result in
the reduction in the rodent population in the borough to almost
negligible proportions.