Mr. THOMSONasked the Minister of Health what is the latest date available as to the percentage to the total cost of the bricklayers', carpenters' and joiners', slaters', plasterers' and plumbers' work, respectively, on the non-parlour and also in the parlour type of house?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINFor the last 12 months contracts have usually been let at lump sum prices without quantities and without allowance for fluctuations in rates 1383W of labour or prices of materials. No recent data are accordingly available for arriving at any reliable average percentages of the cost of the whole work represented by the various trades named. The percentages vary considerably according to the design of the individual house, the locality and the period and general conclusions cannot be drawn from individual examples. An estimate made in the summer of 1921 from a number of examples gave the following average figures for the percentages of the total cost:
Per cent. Excavator, concretor, etc. 7 Bricklayer, etc. 35 Carpenter and joiner 22 Slater and tiler 8 Plasterer 9 Plumber and glazier 12 Painter 4 Sundries 3 100