HC Deb 28 November 1967 vol 755 cc52-4W
50. Mr. Gardner

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will seek power to require local authorities selling council houses to make a covenant in perpetuity that such houses shall first be offered to the council when being resold.

Mr. Greenwood

A condition limiting the resale of a council house to the local authority selling it can be imposed under existing statutory powers for a period not exceeding five years. I require its imposition where the sale is at less than market value.

51. Mr. Biffen

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what proposals he has to require local authorities to notify his Department of intended increases in council house rents.

Mr. Greenwood

I am considering this in the light of the proposed reference of certain local authority rents to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

54. Mr. Hamling

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT statistics illustrating changing costs of building council houses in the last three years; and whether he will indicate what part of the costs are represented by labour charges and the cost of land.

Mr. MacColl

Tables on the average cost of construction of council houses are published quarterly by the Ministry in "Housing Statistics". Labour charges represent about one-third of erection costs. Information relating the cost of land to dwellings erected in particular periods is not available: however on average the cost of land probably represents about one tenth of the total costs of local authority dwellings. A large part of the increase in average costs in the last three years is attributable to improvements in the standards of new dwellings.

73. Mr. Edelman

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when the Government intend to refer the projected 50 per cent. increase in council house rents in Coventry to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

Mr. Greenwood

The formal terms of reference to the Board are being worked out and will be announced shortly.