§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what are the discrepancies between the numbers of houses lacking baths, hot water and inside lavatories, shown in his Department's recent survey and those of the last Government census; and what is the reason for these discrepancies.
§ Mr. GreenwoodExact comparisons cannot be made, to a large extent because of changes in circumstances since 1961, including the clearance or improvement of about 1 million unsatisfactory dwellings. The sample survey, however, dealt with the physical condition of dwellings, while the Census was concerned with the enumeration of households, numbers of whom were sharing dwellings. The public health inspectors who carried out the sample survey inquired about a greater range of basic amenities than the Census. When allowance is made for these factors, the findings of the sample survey are consistent with those derived from the 1961 Census.
The total of 2.1 million dwellings shown by the sample survey to have no fixed bath is consistent with the 3.9 million households without a bath in 1961.
The total of 3.4 million dwellings lacking a hot and cold water system connected to a bath, sink and wash-hand basin, has its nearest equivalent in the 1961 figure of 3.5 million households without any hot water tap at all. Similarly, the sample survey indicates that 2.9 million dwellings lack an internal W.C., whereas the 1961 information relates to 1.8 million households without a W.C. inside, or attached to, the building.
A further check will be possible when the findings of the 1966 sample Census are available later this year.