§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions since the inception of the scheme in 1967 the housing cost yardsticks have been increased by his Department; what is the total average increase in that period; and what has been the total average increase in housebuilding costs during that time.
§ Mr. KaufmanThe published level of the housing cost yardstick has been increased seven times since it was introduced in 1967. The total average increase is 138 per cent.
The Department's index of the cost of new construction which provides a measure of the changes in the cost to clients of new building, not confined to housebuilding, and civil engineering works shows a total average increase of 102 per cent. from the second quarter of 1967 to the first quarter of this year.