§ 12. Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when Professor Sidwell's Report on House Building Costs, which he commissioned, will be published.
§ Dr. Dickson MabonThis study is not due to be completed before the autumn. My right hon. Friend recently received a report on the work done so far and he is considering arrangements for publication.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithIs the Minister aware that prices of houses in Scotland still persist considerably higher than anywhere else in the United Kingdom outside the South-East? Will he also acknowledge that responsibility for these higher costs rests firmly upon his Government because of their impositions on the building industry through selective employment tax and B.S.T. and in so many other ways?
§ Dr. MabonIf that were true, that fact would apply only while the present Government were in office, but that is not so. If the hon. Member looks at preceding reports of building society associations, he will see that this has 395 been the case for a long time this century. The suggestion contained in the supplementary question does not, therefore, apply.
§ Mr. DalyellIn any discussions which take place, can the Department make the point that it is wrong to skimp on costs if the architects' designs do not take condensation problems into account?
Dr. MahonAbsolutely. There are later Questions on the Paper the answers to which also explain these points.
§ 21. Mr. Monroasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of building an average three-bedroomed house in 1964 in Scotland; and what is the cost for building a comparable house today, or at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Dr. Dickson MabonThe average cost of building all types of four-apartment houses in the public sector, inclusive of land purchase, site development and servicing and fees, was about £3,300 in 1964 and £4,400 in 1968. A figure for 1969 is not yet available.
§ Mr. MonroIs that not a staggering increase? Is the Minister of State aware that Government policy, S.E.T., Bank Rate, devaluation, the Land Commission, transport costs, B.S.T. and so on have had an enormous impact on house building? When does he intend to relieve that burden?
§ Dr. MabonThe hon. Gentleman will know that the standards of houses and their layouts have risen and changed substantially in that time. Houses are bigger in area and there is whole or partial central heating as a common feature. Much more use is made of pedestrian segregation in layouts, and this contributes to the costs. As for the bullfrog argument about S.E.T., I hope that Reddaway and Sidwell will puncture that.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe hon. Gentleman has referred to houses in the public sector, but is he not aware that prices in the private sector have risen even more because of the tremendous costs imposed there? Does he realise that this denies many young people the chance of buying a house of their own?
§ Dr. MabonThe hon. Gentleman has the tremendous advantage over the rest 396 of us of having a crystal ball and being able to read reports that we have not yet published.
§ Mr. DalyellIs it not strange that this kind of question should come from people who are financially committed to open-ended commitments east of Suez and many other forms of public expenditure?