§ MR. TOMLINSONI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can supplement the information contained in the recently issued Paper (Commercial, No. 6, 1893), showing the average retail price per pound avoirdupois of various articles of domestic consumption in some of the principal cities of Europe in 1892, by giving also the average prices of similar articles in some of the principal cities of the United Kingdom for the same year?
§ * MR. MUNDELLAThe Board of Trade is not responsible for the Paper in question, and is not of opinion that any good purpose would be answered by a retrospective inquiry such as the hon. Member suggests. We are, however, at present engaged in an inquiry into the average prices of articles of food of workmen's consumption with a view to periodical publication.
§ MR. TOMLINSONIf I move for a Return in that form, will the Government object to it?
§ MR. MUNDELLAIt is not necessary. The Government are, as I have stated, making inquiries with a view to the periodical publication of this information.