§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest figure for the average cost of building a three-bedroom council house, a two-bedroom bungalow, and a two-bedroom flat; and what elements within these figures relate to labour costs in the process of construction.
§ Mr. John MorrisI assume that the hon. Member is interested in costs in Wales. The information is not available 163W for the precise categories of dwellings specified in the question, but the following table gives provisional estimated costs for the three most similar categories for which data are collected:
Type of local authority dwelling and estimated Cost £ 2 storey, 5 bedspace 12,700 1 storey, 4 or more bedspaces 12,000 Flats, 1–4 storeys 11,400 The period covered is the first half of 1976.
The results of the 1974 Annual Census of Production for the Construction Industry suggest that about one-quarter of average building costs relates to labour.