§ 40. Sir W. de FRECEasked the Minister of Labour whether the Government proposes to make a new inquiry into the efficacy of the present system of assessing the cost of living, more especially in regard to the cost of professional and clerical workers; and whether any action has been taken on these lines and, if so, what?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI propose to institute an inquiry with a view to the revision of the basis of the cost of living statistics as soon as conditions are such as to provide a basis for revision which would be likely to prove of lasting value. In the course of any inquiry the question whether changes in the cost of living to non-manual workers can be separately dealt with will be considered.
§ Major CRAWFURDWill the right hon. Gentleman indicate some of the conditions to which he refers?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDIf the conditions of the supply and the demand are likely to become at all stable, it would be a very desirable thing. To do it beforehand would probably only mean trouble, as one of the really vital advantages of any cost of living figures is to be able to have a comparable figure for one year or one month with another. The reason, and the only reason, for delay is to try to make sure that when we make a change it will be for comparative purposes, a change to a permanent basis.