§ Mr. Bellengerasked the Minister of Labour what is the capital cost of the hostels for munition workers built by the Government and managed by the National Service Hostels Corporation; what is their total capacity; and what is the total weekly cost per head, divided as follows: food, hostel staff, fuel and lighting, rates, taxes 518W and insurance, maintenance of buildings and equipment, laundry, loan charges, administration and sundries?
§ Mr. BevinThe capital cost of industrial hostels built by various Government Departments and managed by the National Service Hostels Corporation and its agents is estimated to range from £170 to £230 per head of capacity, according to various factors such as size and standards of construction. The following over-all running costs per head are based on experience in January, 1943, but, owing to the various stages of development of these hostels, the figures must not be taken as stabilised. Some of them will be reduced, no doubt, when the hostels accommodation is more fully occupied. In this connection it should be mentioned that the hostels are opened when the Supply Departments, in consultation with my officers, are satisfied that a sufficient demand exists; it follows that there is frequently an intervening period before a hostel is full and this adds to the administrative cost per resident-week.
No charge is payable by the Hostels Corporation in respect of taxes or loan charges. The effective capacity of the 29 hostels managed by, or on behalf of, the Hostels Corporation at the end of January was 14,098 (with an eventual capacity in these hostels of 17,423) and 11,442 persons were in residence.
Total Cost per Resident-week. s. d. Food 9 4 Hostels Staffs (Wages and Board) 14 11 Fuel and Lighting 4 1 Rates 10 Insurance 3 Maintenance of buildings and equipment 2 Laundry 9 Administration and sundries 2 3 £1 12 7