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
Hackney 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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period. Both Mr. Long, the Senior Housing Inspector, and myself
were of the opinion that the number was considerably greater than
this, but it is gratifying to hear from the Sanitary Inspector to the
London County Council that conditions in Hackney are so good in
comparison with the other London boroughs that the County
Council consider adequate slum clearance during the next five years
will necessitate the demolition of only 93 houses.
It was always particularly pleasing to me at the Slum Clearance
Enquiries that almost without fail the standard of housing in
Hackney was stated by the Opposition to be unreasonably high,
and that the Ministry of Health Inspector was asked to visit houses
outside the borough in preference to those included in the list of
houses to be visited by the Inspector, which was customarily
submitted at Enquiries, to enable him to form an opinion as to the
"general standard of housing accommodation for working classes
in the district."
Inspections—1950.
The following is a summary of the principal forms of inspection and of the action taken by the sanitary inspectors during the year:—
| Houses inspected on complaint | 8,178 | |
| „ „ after infectious disease | 258 | |
| Houses inspected under Sec. 9, Housing Act, 1936 | 482 | |
| Special inspections and visits | 8,703 | |
| Builders' notices | 1,257 | |
| Inspections of factories and workshops | 858 | |
| „ „ bakehouses .. | 165 | |
| „ „ dairies and milkshops | 390 | |
| „ „ butchers' shops and stores | 1,304 | |
| „ „ other food premises, markets, etc. | 3,537 | |
| Drains and sanitary fittings examined | 7,048 | |
| „ repaired | 824 | |
| „ relaid | 268 | |
| Premises in which defects were found | all forms ofinspection | 7,043 |
| „ „ „ abated | 6,505 | |
| Total number of re-inspections | 35,880 | |
| Intimation notices served | 6,298 | |
| Statutory notices served— | ||
| Public Health (London) Act, 1936, and Housing Act, 1936 | 2,454 | |
| Byelaws and London County Council (General Powers) Act | 307 | |
| Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act | 4 | |
| Summonses issued for housing defects | 219 | |
Common Lodging-House.—There is now only one common
lodging-house in the Borough, situated at Nos. 23 and 25, Well
Street. This lodging-house provides accommodation for 139 men
only.
Water Supply.—The water supply of the Borough is under
the control of the Metropolitan Water Board. All the dwellinghouses
in the Borough are supplied from the Board's mains direct
to the houses, and no report of any form of contamination of the
water supply was received during the year.