§ Mr. Murtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give, in tabular form, for each year 1951 to 1965 inclusive, and to the latest date in 1966, the average tender prices and average floor areas for three-bedroom houses built by local authorities, total cost of interest and repayment charges in respect of those houses, assuming loans raised over 60 years at the long-term rate of interest charged by the Public Works Loan Board at each 31st December, the annual cost of management, repairs, and maintenance and, on this basis, the average annual economic rents of those houses.
§ Mr. MellishThe table below gives details on the average floor areas and average tender costs of construction of three-bedroom houses for local authorities in England and Wales for tenders approved in the years 1951 to 1965. It 3W would be misleading to give figures of economic rents on the basis suggested, since there is a wide variation between authorities in costs and in the methods by which capital expenditure is financed. Moreover, information is not available on the costs of land and site works or on maintenance and management costs for particular types of dwellings built in particular years.
FLOOR AREA AND COST OF CONSTRUCTION OF LOCAL AUTHORITY 3-BEDROOM HOUSES ENGLAND AND WALES* TENDERS APP ROVED IN THE YEARS 1951–1965 Year Average Floor Area Average cost of construction† sq. ft. £ 1951 … 1,031 1,369 1952 … 948 1,386 1953 … 916 1,385 1954 … 914 1,383 1955 … 912 1,421 1956 … 912 1,473 1957 … 908 1,486 1958 … 903 1,485 1959 … 897 1,515 1960 … 897 1,611 1961 … 898 1,786 1962 … 907 1,967 1963 … 917 2,129 1964 … 920 2,303 1965 … 930 2,579 1966 (first half) … 942 2,724 * Excluding tenders for G.L.C. and L.C.C. † Excluding land, professional fees and site works.