HC Deb 12 January 1976 vol 903 c85W
Mr. Wm. Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated total cost of providing a Housing Executive dwelling in Northern Ireland for (a) four, (b) five, (c) six and (d) seven persons; what is the cost of the site and the cost of providing electricity, gas, water and sewerage to each house; and what was the cost 10 years and 20 years ago.

Mr. Concannon

The estimated total cost based on tender prices—given as an average for all of 1975—of providing Housing Executive dwellings in Northern Ireland was as follows:

  1. (a) £10,189 for a 4 person house;
  2. (b) £10,129 for a 5 person house;
  3. (c) £10,799 for a 6 person house;
  4. (d) £11,183 for a 7 person house.
These amounts include the cost of the site, the provision of major services within the curtilage of the estate and professional fees.

The average cost per dwelling of the site is £275; of electricity, taken as the provision of the mains supply and its connection to the dwelling, £95; of gas, on the same basis, £130; of water—provision of mains supply only—£60; of sewerage—provision of main storm and foul sewers and their connection to the dwelling—£665.

The comparable figures for particular sizes of house 10 and 20 years ago are not readily available.

However the average cost, based on tender prices, of all public authority dwellings built in 1975 was £9,645. The comparable costs in 1965 and 1955 were £2,701 and £2,026 respectively. These amounts likewise include the cost of the site, the provision of major services within the curtilage of the estate and professional fees. The precise average costs in 1965 and 1955 of the site and the provision of services are not available; but it is considered that they would have borne roughly the same relationship to average total costs as in 1975.