Mr. SIMONasked the Minister of Health what is the average amount calculated by local authorities for all the charges, except interest on capital, on a typical A 3 house; whether he will give a number of typical instances, including Manchester, London, and some rural districts; and whether he is aware of instances where the costs are substantially lower than the amount so calculated?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI understand that in the majority of cases (including the London County Council) local authorities in calculating the rent to be charged under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, estimate an allowance of 30 per cent. of the rent to cover repairs, supervision, voids, insurance, etc. In some cases a lower percentage is taken. Information is not available as to the average amount in respect of particular types of houses, nor in the case of particular local authorities. The allowance is an average one, estimated over the life of the houses. The actual cost of repairs is normally lower than the annual provision during the earlier years, but greater in later years after the houses have been subject to wear and tear.