§ Mr. BROMLEYasked the Undersecretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, what was the cost per house of the three types of houses built by the Ministry of Munitions in 1918-19 on the Abbotsmead estate, Barrow-in-Furness: what was the price obtained per house of the three types of houses when they were recently sold to a private person or company; what was the price per house of each type at which the Department were selling these houses: and why the Department disposed of these houses?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThe information required in the first part of the question is being prepared, and I will furnish the hon. Member with it shortly. As regards the second part, the estate was sold with five other estates situate in different parts of the country for a lump sum of £300,000, and no separate apportionment of the price per house for the various estates was necessary. The average prices received for individual houses sold prior to the sale of the estate were:
£ Class I … … … 337 Class II … … … 302 Class III … … … 280 The estates were sold because the Office of Works was under a legal obligation to dispose of the houses as soon as a reasonable opportunity occurred.