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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46
Between 1921 and 1925 these inspections were carried out
under the Housing (Inspection of Districts) Regulations, 1910,
made under the Housing and Town Planning Act, 1909, but as from
the 1st September, 1925 these Regulations were superseded by the
Housing Consolidated Regulations, 1925, made under the Housing
Act, 1925. This Act did not vary the procedure with regard to
reconstruction repairs and therefore no change in the method of
dealing with these houses was made.
The position was considerably altered after the Housing Act,
1930 came into operation as the reference to reconstruction was
deleted from the repair section and it was then possible to serve a
notice requiring the carrying out of any repairs which the Council
considered necessary to make the house fit. However, by that time .
the more urgent problem of dealing with slums was receiving
attention and it was not until 1937 that inspections under the
Housing Consolidated Regulations, 1932, which revoked the 1925
Regulations, were resumed.
Between the years 1937 and 1940, 775 inspections were carried
out under Section 9 of the Housing Act (reconditioning or repair
of insanitary houses) as a result of which 695 houses were made fit.
For a few years after the end of the war it was not possible, because
of the shortages of materials and labour, to enforce the provisions
of Section 9 of the Housing Act, 1936 but in the last few months
of 1949 the position eased and inspections under this Section were
recommenced. Steady progress has continued to be made and the
following figures cover the period from the recommencement of
Section 9 work to date (19th February, 1951):—
HOUSING ACT, 1936—SECTIONS 9 & 10
| 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 152 | 350 | 16 | 518 | |
| 152 | 350 | 16 | 518 | |
| Work done | Nil | 156 | 29 | 185 |
| 16 | 164 | 33 | 213 | |
| Work done by owner | Nil | 41 | 13 | 54 |
| Work done by Council | Nil | 12 | 1 | 13 |
SUMMARY.
Inspections—518.
Work done—252 (Informal 185, Formal 54, Council 13).
Outstanding—266 (Formal 146, Informal 120).
ESTIMATES.
Since May, 1950, estimates have been obtained in respect of
40 houses with a view to the Council carrying out work in default,
but in seven instances the owners carried out work themselves
following the service of notices of the Council's intention to enter