§ 28. Mr. Mappasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he will authorise local authorities to make financial grants towards the cost of installing separate service water pipes in place of pipes common to several dwellings where the water provision is inadequate.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. F. V. Corfield)My right hon. Friend is prepared to consider a provision to this effect when an opportunity for legislation arises, but he cannot say when this will be.
§ Mr. MappIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this matter is now three years old and that the Association of Municipal Corporations is now in full agreement with it? Is he also aware that in our older towns, as for example in Oldham, there are 30,000 houses which are without individual water storage? Is he aware that there are common water pipes to hundreds of homes? Is it not time that priorities were changed so that this discretionary grant can become available to local authorities?
§ Mr. CorfieldI take note of what the hon. Member says, and I assure him that we are in close touch with the Association of Municipal Corporations on the matter. 741 But the other local authority associations do not regard this as urgent, and the A.M.C. itself regards it as only having local significance.