HC Deb 09 July 1957 vol 573 cc172-3
23. Mr. Mitchison

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if, for purposes of comparison, he will state, as on the latest convenient date, the annual charges to be debited to the housing revenue account of a local authority in any convenient area in respect of a typical three-bedroom house and its services built and provided with money borrowed from the Public Works Loans Board for sixty years, and similar loan charges in respect of a similar house as on the corresponding date in each year since and including 1951.

Mr. H. Brooke

Since the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, have it circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Mitchison

Since the Answer contains seven figures, could not the Minister tell us what the first and the last are and how much rise they show in the cost of housing to local authorities?

Mr. Brooke

It would be best if I circulated the figures.

Following are the figures—

Three-bedroom council houses
First quarter in each year Interest and repayment charges on construction, land and services
£ s. d.
1951 … … … 55 0 8
1952 … … … 75 4 7
1953 … … … 74 7 0
1954 … … … 71 8 10
1955 … … … 72 10 7
1956 … … … 97 8 7
1957 … … … 100 4 6

Notes:—1. The table above is based upon the average tender costs of three-bedroom houses for the first quarter of each year. The allowance made for land and services is only approximate. There are wide variations in the cost of land and services between different sites.

2. It is not possible to construct a series for a particular local authority since no council obtains tenders for houses at the same time year after year.