asked the Minister for Local Government when the new scheme which will allow local authorities to proceed with housing projects of up to 50 houses without departmental approval will be sanctioned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Housing.
24.
It was intended that devolution of responsibility to housing authorities for the planning and acceptance of tenders would be extended from schemes of up to 24 houses to schemes of not more than 50 houses as from 1st April, 1974. I want the change over to local control made as quickly as possible, and I have asked that the extension to 50 houses should be made effective as quickly as administrative arrangements will allow, between now and the 1st April, 1974.
25.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is satisfied that definite economies are being made in house building under the Guaranteed Order Project, 1970.
It is not possible, at this stage, to make a definitive judgment on the extent to which cost economies have been achieved under the Guaranteed Order Project. Such a judgment could not be made until final all-in-costs of comparable schemes, carried out by normal methods, and under the project, are known. From the information available to me at present it would seem that some cost economies have been achieved on larger schemes by continuity of operations, better organisation of production and more rapid completion. These are economies which it should be possible to achieve in any properly organised large scale building project. I am not satisfied that the project has offered any cost advantages on smaller schemes, for which it is now recognised generally as being unsuitable.