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37
SHOPS
(Shops Act 1950 and London County Council (General Powers) Act 1958)
Total number of shops, wholesale establishments and warehouses subject to
the requirements of the Shops Act 1950 and London County Council (General
Powers) Act 1958 was 724.
Number of basic routine visits made 800
Number of re-inspect ions made 115
Total number of inspections made 915
Number of notices served -
PET ANIMALS ACT 1951
Five premises were licensed under this Act during the year. In 4 cases
a considerable business is carried on, mostly in budgerigars and goldfish, but
the other one deals on a very small scale only, in pigeons, rabbits, etc.
HEATING APPLIANCES (FIREGUARDS) ACT 1952
Gen'eral observation was kept on the sale of heating appliances to ensure
that they complied with the Regulations made under the above-named Act. In
several cases the sellers and users of heating appliances requested that their
guards be tested.
OFFICES, SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES ACT 1963
Long before the inception of the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act
1963, the forces of this Department were mustered and a policy defined as to
how the Public Health Inspectorate were to carry out the administration of the
Act, so that when it eventually came into force on 1st August 1964 all was
prepared to continue with this important piece of legislation.
The first step was to ensure that all premises of a type which came under
the Act should be registered, and to this end full assistance of three
assistants were employed making a complete survey of the Borough street by
street and visiting any premises likely to come within the scope of the Act, at
the same time-delivering registration forms and giving advice as may be
necessary to the occupiers of the premises.
In all about 800 premises were visited and in due course a little below
80% of the registration forms duly completed were returned to the Public
Health Department.
To those who had failed to register, an appropriate letter was sent
reminding those responsible of their obligations for registration under the Act
and also of the penalties involved should they fail to register the premises.
This resulted in over 90% of registrations being received by the Department
and a final letter couched in more severe terras was sent to the remaining
offenders which brought in all but about one dozen outstanding registration forms.
Information concerning these outstanding registrations was presented to
the Public Health Committee and the Town Clerk sent final warning letters
which in due course brought in 100% registrations and this work was completed
within three months of the Act coming into operation.
From the moment registration forms were received by the Department, a
complete inspection was made of the premises, priority being given to the
larger offices some of which, in Shoreditch, employ upwards of 600 personnel.
The inspection was divided into two stages (a) the obtaining of factual
information and the preparation of sketch plans by the Technical Assistants
and (b) a detailed inspection of the premises by the Public Health Inspector
being armed with the factual information before entering the premises.