§ 15. Mr. Bossomasked the Minister of Works the total value of the building work under contract in Great Britain at the latest date of which he has a record; and what percentage of this cost is attributable to additional expenses brought about by regulations and controls imposed by the Government.
§ Mr. TomlinsonThe total value of contracts over £5,000 on which work was in progress at the end of September was just over £500 million. Regulations and controls are imposed by the Government in order to secure the best use in the national interest of limited resources at a time of great pressure of demand and to check the tendency towards price increases. Without them the cost of L uilding would be far higher than it is.
§ Mr. BossomIs the Minister aware that the great majority of the builders engaged in this work estimate that it is costing them over 10 per cent. to look after tae controls that are imposed, and that they consider that they could do the work 10 per cent. more cheaply—[An HON. MEMBER: "Ad 20 per cent. worse."]—if they did not have the controls?
§ Mr. TomlinsonI should doubt that.