Mr. SIMONasked the Minister of Health the average cost of the non-parlour, three-bedroom house during the period covering approximately the last 12 months; and whether he will give examples of the highest and lowest costs with, in each case, floor area, at which contracts have recently been placed both in large cities and in small urban districts?
§ Mr. GREENWOODParticulars distinguishing the average price of non-parlour, three-bedroom houses from that of other non-parlour houses are not available. The average price of non-parlour houses included in contracts let by or in direct labour schemes of local authorities in England and Wales during the year 1029 was £344. Some examples of high and low costs in recent cases are shown in the following table:
— Average price per house. Average area per house. High Costs. £ sq. ft. Large Towns. Huddersfield 414 795 Bolton 427 860 Stoke-on-Trent 410 848 Stockport 402 785 Small Urban Districts. Wolverton 400 768 Littleborough 431 906 Darlaston 365 874 Kirkby-in-Ashfield 371 880 Low Costs. Large Towns. Carlisle 281 647 Barnsley 288 675 Liverpool 334 710 Doncaster 319 886 Small Urban Districts. Whitwood 306 725 Winsford 305 722 Horsforth 292 670 Arnold 299 680