§ Mr. Hamlingasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the average cost of building a two-bed-roomed council house for the last available year as compared with 1951; and what is the comparison over the period of average cost of land, interest charges and economic rents.
§ Mr. MellishThe average tender price of a two-storey two-bedroomed council house was £2,082 in 1964 compared with £1,248 in 1951.
Information about the cost of land is not available.
As loans may be raised in different ways, sometimes with variable requirements as to payment of interest, interest charges cannot usefully be compared. Because most authorities pool their rents over their whole housing stock, what is an economic rent will vary from one authority to another.