§ 1. Mr. Pounderasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will introduce legislation to empower him to see that local authorities require a high standard of hygiene in public conveniences.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. F. V. Corfield)I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to the Questions asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Waltham-stow, East (Mr. J. Harvey) on 8th June, and by the hon. Member for Lanark (Mrs. Hart) on 9th June. My right hon. Friend does not think legislation is required.
§ Mr. PounderI am aware of the Answers which my hon. Friend gave to those hon. Members, but is he not aware that although a very high standard of hygiene is maintained by some local authorities in conveniences under their control, this standard is certainly not uniform and that a recent survey showed that in some areas less than one-third of the conveniences in those areas were above a reasonable standard and that less than half had wash basins? In 996 view of the vital importance of maintaining a high standard of public hygiene, is not my right hon. Friend prepared to look at the matter again?
§ Mr. CorfieldNo, Sir. I am absolutely convinced that it is essentially a matter both for local administration and local enforcement. As my hon. Friend will be aware, my right hon. Friend has undertaken to issue advice on the matter, and I am quite certain that the pressure of public opinion on local authorities will be much more effective than legislation, which would be very difficult indeed to enforce.