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Section 6 of the Act relates to the disinfection of bedding,
clothing, or other articles likely to retain infection. It provides
that any local authority, or the medical officer of health of any local
authority, who has received from them a general power for that
purpose may, by notice in writing, require the owner of any bedding,
clothing, or other articles which have been exposed to the infection of
an infectious disease, to cause the same to be delivered over to an
officer of the local authority for removal for the purpose of disinfection.
The bedding, clothing, and articles are to be disinfected by the
authority, and to be brought back and delivered to the owner free of
charge, and if any of them suffer any unnecessary damage the authority
are to compensate the owner for the same. The amount of compensation
will be recoverable in. and in case of dispute is to be settled by,
a court of summary jurisdiction.
Any person who fails to comply with the requirement of the local
authority or medical officer of health is to be liable to a penalty not
exceeding £10.
For the protection of persons entering into occupation of a house
or part thereof in which infectious disease may have occurred, it is
enacted in section 7 that where a house, room, or part of a house lias
been occupied by a person suffering from any infectious disease, and
the premises are vacated by the tenant within six weeks after they
have been so occupied, without the premises and all articles therein
liable to retain infection having been disinfected to the satisfaction of
a registered medical practitioner, as testified by a certificate signed by
him, or without the owner of the premises having had notice from the
person vacating the premises of the previous existence of such disease,
such person is made liable to a penalty not exceeding £10.
A similar penalty is imposed in the case of a person ceasing to
occupy any house, room, or part of a house, who, on being questioned
by the owner thereof, or by any person negotiating for the hire of such
house, room, or part of a house, as to the fact of there having, within
six weeks previously, been therein any person suffering from an
infectious disease, kno vingly makes a false answer to the question.
Notice of the provisions of section 7 are to be given by the local
authority to the occupier of any house in which they are aware that
there is a person suffering from an infectious disease. (Section 14.)
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