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53
The information was derived from questions answered by the
householder and not from data compiled by the census enumerator, as
was the case with the number of rooms. The Registrar General
remarks in his introduction to his report that there has been some
inconsistency among heads of households in interpreting the meaning
of the word "sharing" as well as a certain amount of inconsistency
with the definition of the amenities themselves. However, he
considers despite these inconsistencies that the record gives a
reasonably accurate broad picture of these household arrangements.
Table 13 of the Registrar General's Report shows the number
of private households having exclusive use, sharing, or entirely
without, the above household amenities. In Hampstead, 38 per cent.
of private households have exclusive use of piped water, cooking
stove, kitchen sink, watercloset, and fixed bath.78 per cent.
have exclusive use of a cooking stove and sink, but a further
small percentage have exclusive use of one or other, but not both.
34 per cent. of the households share a piped water supply and
there are apparently 59 households out of a total of 35,970
entirely without piped water. Similarly, It was found that
4l per cent. share a W.C. and 60 households are apparently without.
The figures of the households without water and without a W.C.
would need careful checking to make sure that they did not arise
from misinterpretation of the instructions on the census form.
Unfortunately, in this respect, the census returns are entirely
confidential and It is not possible to obtain the addresses of
these households.
38 per cent, share a fixed bath and 16 per cent, are entirely
without a fixed bath, but 10 per cent, of these households who
either share or are without a fixed bath have exclusive use of
all the other arrangements mentioned, so that by the addition of
a fixed bath in these households, each household would have
exclusive use of all the household arrangements. The sharing of
piped water by households is high in those Boroughs which have a
large number of one and two room occupations, and also in some
of the East End Boroughs. The overall percentage of households
sharing or not having a piped water supply for London is 31 per
cent. and this compares with 17 per cent, for England and Wales.
Similar considerations with regard to single room occupation and
households of 1 person, account for the high incidence of
households who share the domestic facilities in Hampstead, but it
is notable that the number of households without any access to
these facilities is low.
Summary.
The figures quoted in this survey reveal the composition of
the population and the condition of the housing of the people of
Hampstead and compare these facts with the County of London and
other Metropolitan Boroughs. It is shown that Hampstead is
essentially a residential Borough with a higher than average number
of persons In the middle years of life, living in rooms in single
person households.