Building and Civil Engineering Work

HC Deb 22 May 1950 vol 475 cc213-4W

Mr. Robson-Brown

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the value of the building and civil engineering work, valued at 1938 levels of prices, carried out in 1948 and 1949 in work on factories and industrial premises, storage and warehouse premises, coal mines and opencast mining work, transport, water, electricity and gas, agricultural work, shops and commercial premises, schools, universities and hospitals, permanent house construction, temporary house erection, other housing work, and other work, respectively.

Mr. Stokes

The Statistical Digest publishes figures for 1948 and 1949 of the value of building and civil engineering work in these categories carried out by the main contracting firms, but there are no available estimates for these separate categories in terms of 1938 prices.

Mr. Watkinson

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the total volume of building and construction carried out during 1949, and how this figure compares with his Department's forecasts drawn up in 1948.

Mr. Stokes

The total value of such work carried out during 1949 in Great Britain is estimated to have been £1,246 million. A forecast in terms of 1948 prices and relating to the United Kingdom was given in Table 7 of the Economic Survey for 1949 (Cmd. 7647) and amounted to £1,225 million. Exclusion of Northern Ireland and adjustment for the difference between 1948 and 1949 prices would have reduced that forecast to about £1,200 million.