[Report 1918] / Medical Officer of Health, County of the Soke of Peterborough.

  • Peterborough (England). County Council.
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1918] / Medical Officer of Health, County of the Soke of Peterborough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    33/48 (page 17)
    b ^tt) • To ropert on housing matters to the Conning Commissioner diro when fceforence is nado to ''in tho Housing Conniosionor« Sue’' reports need only be brief end can umr.lly bo nr.de from inform¬ ation at tho &i3y03.nl of tho County I odical Officers. (b) • To conduct investigations personally or through connotout officers in any natter diroctod by tho Housing Conniesioncr. tile Lay subordinate staff of tho Hiniotry aro 't tho rtinnosal o: County iiodical Officers, monthly Confer one os are bold at tho Offico of tdie Commissioner. A nodical Offi cer from the ] inistry of Health attends these Conferences• Stress is laid upon the fact that tho primary re sponsibilit*T in connection with housing natters roots with the Local Sanitary Authority, The Local nodical Officer of Health must nab© hinsolf familiar with the housing conditions in hi ■ District. In cases of do fault the Count”- medical Officer may himself become primarily responsible for tho housing work. I have now attended three of thoso Conferences and it will be expedient to relate what has boon learnt as o the wishes of the Central and the proposals of the Local Authorities. In considering the fitness of any Scheme the higher of the two estimates of the population, issued by the Registrar General, should be considered. As regards overcrowding, the following points should bo tabon into consideration. 1. Tho number of persons per bedroom and not the number of persons per room. 8. A floor space of 50 sq. feet should bo allowed for each person. Tho Officers of the Local Authority should make a continuous housing survey. This is important a3 it is doubtful if a complete survey has been made in this County since the outbreak of hostilities inl9l4„ Eo definite standard has over been fixed as to whether a house is fit or unfit, and it soens improbable that it ever will 1)6. A satisfactory house should be dry, light, airy, in good general repair and provided with adequate sanitary conveniences. A house '•lay be damp from trivial causes or from serious defects, such as porous walls or.floors, and defective or absent danp-prodf courses Windows should be at least one tenth of tho floor space in size and a chimney or ventilator should be provided in addition. There should be a separate earth, or if possible water, closet to ©acn house The Local Authority being the landlord can choose its own tenants