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our notice. In all, a total of some 37 individual unfit underground rooms
were closed during the year. As a result of Closing or Demolition procedure
initiated by the Department in relation to underground rooms, parts of houses
or whole houses, some 24 families were rehoused by the Borough Council.
There is undoubtedly a very great increase in the number of houses that
are being let in one room units, and this development does present special
problems. With regard to houses let in lodgings generally, Section 36 of the
Housing Act, 1957, which relates to amenities, and Section 90 which deals with
overcrowding, place very definite powers at the disposal of local authorities,
but unfortunately, the landlord may, in lieu of providing additional amenities,
reduce the number of occupants by eviction-as a result of this alternative,
only in respect of the worst cases are the Committee recommended to take
statutory action, and these cases are, in the main, furnished lettings.
With reference to the Rent Act, our experience to date leads us to believe
that this piece of legislation is working reasonably satisfactorily insofar as
it relates to the remedying of defects in controlled dwellings. Some grave
difficulties are, however, being encountered in cases where tenants of houses
which have become decontrolled have signed agreements, as a result of which
they have accepted responsibility for carrying out repairs, including in many
cases responsibility for structure and drainage. A further problem of some
magnitude has arisen in a not inconsiderable number of cases, where the
principal tenant has become decontrolled, but the sub-tenants have remained
protected by the Rent Act, and have served Form G (Notice by Tenant to Landlord
of Defects of Repair) on the principal tenant. The principal tenant is,
therefore, in many cases faced with the alternative of either meeting the cost
of the necessary repairs in the portion of the dwelling occupied by his subtenants,
or accepting a reduced rent, although his own rent has been considerably
increased A number of principal tenants complain to the Department
regarding the condition of their dwellings, apparently unaware that they
themselves, under the terms of their agreements, are responsible for any
necessary repairs
Atmospheric Pollution. All the provisions of that great, modern piece of
Public Health legislation, the Clean Air Act, 1956, were operative from 1st
June 1958 I am very happy to record my appreciation of the full support
which the Council has given, and continues to give the Department in its
efforts to operate to the full the provisions of this Act, Hackney's first
Smoke Control Order, comprising an area of some 150 acres of the borough
received the Minister s confirmation in December, 1958, and became operative on
the 1st September of this year, A further area of some 208 acres of the
borough was approved in principle by the Council at its meeting in November,
and the Minister's provisional clearance of this second area was received on
14th April, 1959. A detailed survey of the area has now been completed and it
is hoped that the relative Order will become operative in October, 1960 The
results of a pilot survey of a third area of some 689 acres will be submitted
to the Public Health Committee and to the Council in October for approval in
principle Following receipt of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government
Circular No 5/59, the Council has given consideration to the preparation of a
phased programme to cover the whole area of the borough, and resolved that,
subject to the necessary finances being available, Smoke Control Orders
covering the whole of the borough, shall be operative within some five years
from now.
Public Health Inspection Staff. The establishment of Public Health Inspectors
remains at 24, At the beginning of the year there were three vacancies for
District Public Health Inspectors, and one temporary Inspector died during the
year three new appointments were made, and at the end of the year there was
only one vacancy. I am very happy to record that all three new appointments
made were our own pupils who had satisfactorily completed their course of
training in the Department and passed the qualifying examination of the