COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL: PORT AND CITY OF LONDON HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: COL/CC/PHS
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL: PORT AND CITY OF LONDON HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
Date(s)	: 1956-2001
Level of description	: subfonds View parent record
Extent	: 4.8 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: Corporation of London

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.

In 1957 it was decided that the Public Health Committee, Port of London Health Committee and County Purposes Committee would be amalgamated as the Port and City of London Health Committee, with responsibility for all public health functions except for housing. In 1982 the Committee was amalgamated with the Social Services Committee. In April 2001, when the social services functions were transferred to the new Community Services Committee, the Port and City of London Health and Social Services Committee changed its name to reflect its new scope and became the Port Health and Environmental Services Committee.

The Port of London comprised a stretch of the River Thames from Teddington Lock in Surrey to the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, including all streams, channels, creeks, harbours and docks within these limits. The various health committees of the Port of London were concerned with the health and hygiene of ship's crews and passengers; the control of infectious diseases; the running of the Port Isolation Hospital at Denton, Gravesend, Kent; the disinfection of vessels and control of onboard rodents and pests; the inspection of imported foodstuffs, particularly shellfish; the registration and inspection of canal boats and rodent control at docks.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Port and City of London Health and Social Services Committee, Court of Common Council, including minutes, 1957-2001 (records closed after 1975) and papers regarding the delegation of statutory powers and duties from the Common Council, 1956-1957, including notes on: the appointment of Medical Officers of Health and Sanitary Inspectors, imported food regulations, the sale of alcoholic liquor, powers and duties of the Corporation regarding weights and measures, transport arrangements of Port Health Inspectors, the Corporation's powers and duties regarding public health, the responsibilities of Shops, the Corporation as the Port Health Authority and the functions of the County Purposes Committee.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

In sections according to catalogue.

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright City of London.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Corporation of London Records Office.

Allied Materials

Related material:

See also Port and City of London Health Committee (COL/CC/PHC), Port Health and Environmental Services Committee (COL/CC/PHE), and Port of London Health Committee (COL/CC/PLH).

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
February 2009