37. Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSONasked the Minister of Health how many towns have reported surveys made of houses not reasonably fit for human habitation; how many houses have been so condemned by medical officers of health and local authorities; and the total population covered by these reports?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Mr. N. Chamberlain)As the reply is somewhat long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ Reports received from medical officers of health for 1,060 boroughs and urban districts for the year 1921 show that, 994,005 houses were inspected under the Public Health Acts and Housing (Inspection of Districts) Regulations. 13,279 houses were reported as unfit for habitation and 226,713 as not in all respects reasonably fit.
§ Notices under Section 28 of the Housing Act, 1919, were served in respect of 30,818 houses, and of these 23,453 were rendered fit by the owners and 912 by the local authorities.
§ Notices were served under the Public Health Acts in respect of 266,549 houses; in 240,310 of the houses concerned the defects were remedied by the owners and in 2,757 houses by the local authorities.
§ Defects were remedied in 223,546 houses without the service of formal notices.
§ Closing orders were made in respect of 1,416 houses, while in the case of 287 houses closing orders were determined after the houses had been made fit.
§ There is no information regarding the population inhabiting these houses.