Public Health Acts Flashcards
Moral and physical conditions of the working classes of Manchester 1832- Dr James Kay
demonstrated the connection between dirt and disease, and how dirt and diet affected the health of working people, which set the scene for later investigations
Report on the ‘Sanitary Condition of Labouring Population of Great Britain’ 1842- Chadwick
done by Edwin Chadwick, as requested by the Poor Law Commission
- attacked the inadequacy of existing water supplies, drainage and sewerage system
- linked public health and the Poor Law
- stressed the connection between overcrowding, epidemics and death
Report of the Royal Commission into the Sanitary Condition of Large Towns and Populous Districts 1844
recommended that:
- central government to be given extensive powers to inspect and supervise local sanitary work
- local sanitary districts set up (control over drainage sewerage, water supplies)
- sanitary districts given power to raise money for sanitary schemes
Report of the Bradford Woolcombers Sanatory Committees 1845
Showed that working people and their family dominated cellars and attics and that the average age of death was 14 years 2 months
→ formation of Protective Society who appointed their own ‘Sanatory Committee’ to report on their living conditions
Representation of the People Act 1832
allowed greater representation from the growing industrial towns of the Midlands and the North, but middle-class representation wanted to keep rates low, so public health refroms were not prioritised
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
Borough councils were elected by male rate payers for a 3-year term, councils could assume control of paving, sewerage, street cleaning and drainage, but they need an Act of Parliament to do so (it costed a lot)
Nuisance Removal Acts 1846
justices can prosecute anyone responsible for ‘nuisances’ (unwholesome houses with filth and foul drains)
Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847
right of towns to lay water supplies and drainage schemes, to get rid of nuisances and legalised discharge of sewerage into rivers/ sea and allowed its sale for agricultural purposes
Public Health Act 1848
General Board of Health set up to approve loans to local authorities
local authorities empowered to set up local boards of health when 10% of ratepayers asked for one/ death rate was more than 23 per 1,000 people
local boards of health- can appoint a medical officer, and manage sewerage, drains, wells and slaughterhouses
Strengths of PHA 1848
- Piecemeal implementation meant that there was little opposition
- demonstrated that the government was prepared to do something like providing solutions to struggling towns
- generated pressure for more reforms and confidence in legislation
Weaknesses of PHA 1848
- it was permissive
- lack of universality (Act was not implemented in Scotland since it had not reached the required number of deaths, it was also not implemented in London since they had their own Act in 1848 to establish the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers)
- local authorities were not responsible for wider public health considerations like parks, baths
Local Government Act 1858 + Public Health Act 1858
-abolished General Board of Health and its power is given to the newly set up Local Government Act Office
-medical department of Privy Council set up
-local boards of health given power to take preventative actions and appoint officials
→by splitting the functions of the old General BoH to Local Gov Act Office and Privy Council, it allow the central government (privy council) to get more involved in the administration of public health in localities whilst having the Local Gov Act Office authorise loans to local authorities
The Sanitary Act 1886
- the sanitary powers granted to local boards of health under PHA 1848 was available to all local boards
- local authorities were responsible for removing ‘nuisances’, central gov can step in if local authorities are failing to do so
- local authorities given power to improve/ demolish slum dwellings
Public Health Act 1875
- foundation of all public health work until 1936
- established that every part of the country need to have public health authorities with 1 medical officer and 1 sanitary inspector
- p.h. authority can enforce laws on food adulteration, housing, water supplies and cleansing
- local authorities control were expanded to cover parks, public baths and public conveniences
Public Health Act 1936
- consolidated previous laws and addressed sanitation, nuisances, offensive trades, baths and workhouses & prevention — all of which local authorities had responsibility for
- Food and Drugs Act 1938- added power to control slaughterhouses and food adulteration
- continued to ensure adequate water supply, efficient sewerage/ sanitation
- local authorities took control of water supplies with all complex systems of reservoirs, pipelines/ treatment centre
