STANDARD AMENITIES (Hansard, 25 June 1974)

§ Miss Janet Fookes (Plymouth, Drake)

I beg to move Amendment No. 78, in page 121, line 16, at end insert: The provision of an adequately impermeable and hygienic surface for the walls and floors of a water closet or bathroom or shower … £100.". The purpose of the amendement is to add a further standard amenity for which financial assistance is available. The phrase adequately impermeable and hygienic surface is a somewhat pompous and long-winded way of saying "tiling". Most people would agree that in modern bathrooms a certain amount of tiling is desirable, and that it brings them up to the kind of standard we now expect. As far as I can gather from the schedule, there is no arrangement for its provision. It would be helpful if the Minister would take the matter on board, although I am not sure that he will look upon it in a kindly light.

However, I put the amendment forward in hopeful anticipation.

§ Mr. Rowlands

I should like to look kindly upon the hon. Lady's recommendations, but we do not do think that it is appropriate to add tiles as a basic standard amenity. To a list of five or six items such as toilet, fixed shower or bath, the hon. Lady seeks to add in the same category, and with the same degree of necessity, proper tiling for the walls and floors. We feel that we should not add it as a basic standard amenity for the straightforward grant, but it is possible for such additional provision of tiling to be included under the discretionary grant. The local authority has a certain amount of discretion to allow certain extra costs of that kind in certain limited circumstances.

Although we have had representations from, I believe, the British Ceramic Tile Council, we do not feel that the amendment can be justified. We do not think that tiling of the walls and floors of the bathroom is of the same importance as the basic standard amenities in the schedule, which include toilets and baths.