§ 67. Mr. ROBINSON GRAHAMasked the Minister of Health the actual cost or the estimated cost, approved by the Ministry of Health, of the building of a brick house of any specified standard type according to the established methods by ordinary contract, by direct labour, and by guilds; and the actual cost-or the estimated cost, approved by the Ministry of Health, of the same type of house built from concrete blocks, and of the same type of house built by the Standard Housing Company by massed production, and from blocks of slate?
§ Dr. ADDISONThe comparison asked for is not practicable, as the cost of building varies between wide limits in different localities, and even on different sites in the same locality. On some sites a concrete house can be built cheaper than a brick house; on others the converse is the case. Very little information is available as to the actual cost of the particular type of house constructed by the firm mentioned. It is hoped that new methods of construction will help to reduce building costs, and there are many individual instances where low costs are claimed, so far no marked reduction has been established as 'compared with brick houses under corresponding conditions.