§ Mr. Hamlingasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what are the contract prices accepted by local authorities for the construction of houses by industrialised building methods; and 392W how these compare with the contract prices for the construction of conventional houses in similar areas and of similar types.
§ Mr. MellishTender prices, both for traditional and industrialised methods, vary considerably between regions. For England and Wales as a whole, however, average costs, per sq. ft. of dwellings included in local authority and new town tenders approved during the first nine months of 1965 are as follows:
Industrialised Traditional s. d. s. d. Houses and Bungalows 58 4½ 56 10 Flats in 2–4 storeys 75 3 74 10 Flats in 5 or more storeys 98 8½ 104 0 Generally, tender prices for 1965 as compared with 1964 show that industrialised building has improved its competitive position for each of the three categories of dwelling mentioned above, and the measures which my right hon. Friend announced on 7th December should result in further improvement.