[Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Bowland R.D.C.

  • Bowland (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Bowland R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    assistance can be obtained by appointing- another official or by asking- the Housing Commissioner for one of the in- spectors to help in the inspection of the district. The latter appears the only course open to me, and I have no desire to take up any course hastily, but it is absolutely essential to get complete records of all the houses in the district. This has not been done, but sufficient has been done to ascertain that there is a shortage of houses, and also that some of the existing- houses ought to be immediately closed, or at the best a serious attempt should be made to remedy the defects, which are very serious in some cases. By October 31st, 1920, a definite scheme for all remedial purposes must be made, and by July 31st, 1920, this scheme must be submitted to the Ministry of Health. Particulars of one part of the district should be submitted by January 31st, 1920, another by April 3rd, 1920, and the last by July 31st, 1920. This scheme applies tO' unhealthy areas, but not to unfit houses. There is naturally from the great scarcity of houses some discretion necessary in evicting a person from a house which is not habitable. This, to my mind, nullifies the whole scheme and is a serious flaw. It would be hard to overcome this, as no one desires to cause hardship to anyone at present inhabiting unfit houses. It does not necessarily mean that any scheme must be unduly and unnecessarily delayed. All houses that can be, ought to be remedied without the removal of the tenants. The Ministry of Health applies two standards to houses, one where the house is quite fit for human habitation, and the second where there are certain marked privileges which greatly help towards the comfort and happiness of the fami- lies inhabiting the houses. Obviously, the latter is the ideal and only reasonable standard; but, if this standard were applied to your district and others controlled by other Local Authorities, very few of the existing houses would remain.