Right to room 1

Yes, the overcrowding standard must change ("Right to room", 27 February, page 18). It is appalling that the kitchen can be considered a suitable sleeping space. Perhaps in Dickens' time this could have applied, as frequently the kitchen was the warmest place in the home – or in the days of mud huts when the whole building was the cooking, eating and sleeping space – but surely not in the 21st century.

Kitchens built since the 1960s have hardly enough space to house the white goods, let alone provide sleeping space. My own kitchen cannot accommodate a cat basket.

There also appears to be a conflict as – according to gas safety regulations – people should not sleep in the same room as a flued appliance such as a back boiler, frequently installed in the main living room.