Interviewer: Mrs. Partridge, I understand that you are very concerned about the housing situation in Britain. Mrs. Partridge: Indeed I am. The government itself admits that there are more than two million houses which ought to be pulled down at once. It also admits that there are another two million in such a shocking state that it would be a waste of money to repair them. Interviewer: What do you mean by "shocking state" Mrs. Partridge: I mean houses that are in such a bad condition that they are permanently damp, or houses where you’ll find as many as five families sharing one tap and one toilet. Mr. Pollard: But what about all the good things that have been and are being done What about the rebuilding of whole parts of cities like Sheffield and Birmingham and Coventry — not to mention the new towns Mrs. Partridge: That’s all very fine and splendid, but it’s only one side of the picture. I’m simply saying that we’re not doing enough. We can feel proud of what is good, but surely we shouldn’t be proud that, for example, Glasgow is some times called the biggest slum in Western Europe. Interviewer: What you are saying, in effect, Mrs. Partridge, is that the housing in this country isn’t worthy of a welfare state. Mrs. Partridge: Exactly! According to government figures there are less than 20,000 homeless people, but thousands more are living in such terrible conditions that they ought to be classed as homeless. It isn’t that these people can’t afford a reasonable rent. There just aren’t enough houses. Interviewer: Whom do you blame Mrs. Partridge: The government, for not providing enough money, and the council for not spending properly what there is. Mr. Pollard: Aren’t you being unfair to the local housing committees Many of them do wonderful work. Mrs. Partridge: I agree, but that doesn’t excuse councils that are inefficient and don’t take enough interest. Don’t you think it is shocking that in modern Britain there are still families who have nowhere to live Do you think it’s right that whole families should have to sleep in the ruins of empty buildings or under bridges or in railway station waiting-rooms Mr. Pollard: But there are excellent hostels where they can go. Mrs. Partridge: In some towns, perhaps, Mr. Pollard, but things are very different in many of our midland and northern industrial cities, and in parts of London. Even where there are places, some of the state-run homes for the homeless are less comfortable than prisons. In any case, my point is that we shouldn’t need so many hostels for homeless families because there shouldn’t be any homeless families! Interviewer: Mrs. Partridge, I think many people would say that you are exaggerating and drawing attention to the worst housing conditions instead of looking at the situation as a whole. Would you agree that you belong to a "pressure group" which is trying to bring pressure on the government to do something about the housing problem Mrs. Partridge: If that’s what belonging to a pressure group means, the answer is "yes"! But I’m not exaggerating. Housing is the most serious problem of our welfare state. If it weren’t, would we hear so much about that excellent charity Shelter, which does such wonderful work in finding homes for the homeless
Interviewer: Mrs. Partridge, I understand that you are very concerned about the housing situation in Britain.
Mrs. Partridge: Indeed I am. The government itself admits that there are more than two million houses which ought to be pulled down at once. It also admits that there are another two million in such a shocking state that it would be a waste of money to repair them.
Interviewer: What do you mean by "shocking state"
Mrs. Partridge: I mean houses that are in such a bad condition that they are permanently damp, or houses where you’ll find as many as five families sharing one tap and one toilet.
Mr. Pollard: But what about all the good things that have been and are being done What about the rebuilding of whole parts of cities like Sheffield and Birmingham and Coventry — not to mention the new towns
Mrs. Partridge: That’s all very fine and splendid, but it’s only one side of the picture. I’m simply saying that we’re not doing enough. We can feel proud of what is good, but surely we shouldn’t be proud that, for example, Glasgow is some times called the biggest slum in Western Europe.
Interviewer: What you are saying, in effect, Mrs. Partridge, is that the housing in this country isn’t worthy of a welfare state.
Mrs. Partridge: Exactly! According to government figures there are less than 20,000 homeless people, but thousands more are living in such terrible conditions that they ought to be classed as homeless. It isn’t that these people can’t afford a reasonable rent. There just aren’t enough houses.
Interviewer: Whom do you blame
Mrs. Partridge: The government, for not providing enough money, and the council for not spending properly what there is.
Mr. Pollard: Aren’t you being unfair to the local housing committees Many of them do wonderful work.
Mrs. Partridge: I agree, but that doesn’t excuse councils that are inefficient and don’t take enough interest. Don’t you think it is shocking that in modern Britain there are still families who have nowhere to live Do you think it’s right that whole families should have to sleep in the ruins of empty buildings or under bridges or in railway station waiting-rooms
Mr. Pollard: But there are excellent hostels where they can go.
Mrs. Partridge: In some towns, perhaps, Mr. Pollard, but things are very different in many of our midland and northern industrial cities, and in parts of London. Even where there are places, some of the state-run homes for the homeless are less comfortable than prisons. In any case, my point is that we shouldn’t need so many hostels for homeless families because there shouldn’t be any homeless families!
Interviewer: Mrs. Partridge, I think many people would say that you are exaggerating and drawing attention to the worst housing conditions instead of looking at the situation as a whole. Would you agree that you belong to a "pressure group" which is trying to bring pressure on the government to do something about the housing problem
Mrs. Partridge: If that’s what belonging to a pressure group means, the answer is "yes"! But I’m not exaggerating. Housing is the most serious problem of our welfare state. If it weren’t, would we hear so much about that excellent charity Shelter, which does such wonderful work in finding homes for the homeless
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