§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will give the average size in square feet, the average building cost, the average loan charges, and the total cost of three-bedroom local authority houses built in England and Wales for each year since 1951; how many such houses were built in each of these years; allowing for the depreciation of the £ and the reduction in size, what has been the real rise in the costs of production; and how many fewer houses would have been built had the average size of the houses not been reduced.
§ Mr. CorfieldThe following table gives the number of two-storey 3-bedroom houses, in tenders approved in each year, with the average tender prices and floor areas. My right hon. Friend does not have the information about loan charges and total costs needed to make the other calculations requested.
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TWO-STOREY THREE-BEDROOM HOUSES FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND NEW TOWNS IN ENGLAND AND WALES Year Number of houses in tenders approved Average area Average tender price sq. ft. £ 1952 … 109,186 948 1,386 1953 … 94,773 916 1,385 1954 … 84,644 914 1,383 1955 … 60,632 912 1,421 1956 … 50,622 912 1,473 1957 … 43,354 908 1,486 1958 … 33,558 903 1,485 1959 … 36,509 897 1,515 1960 … 32,019 897 1,611 1961 … 30,755 898 1,786 1962 … 30,483 907 1,967 1963 … 33,496 917 2,129