§ 15. Mr. GALLACHERasked the Minister of Labour whether he will give the list of food items used in the compilation of the cost-of-living index; and the average prices of these articles in the
| The following Table gives the information required, so far as it is available. Corresponding particulars have not been collected for any date prior to July, 1914. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| — | July. 1914. | Average of the Prices returned at the beginning of each month of | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1924. | 1929. | 1930. | 1931. | 1932. | 1933. | 1934. | 1935. | ||||||||||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | ||||
| Beef, British: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ribs | … | … | per lb. | 0 | 10 | 1 | 5¾ | 1 | 4¾ | 1 | 4½ | 1 | 3¾ | 1 | 2¾ | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1½ |
| Thin Flank | … | perlb. | 0 | 6½ | 0 | 10 | 0 | 9½ | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8½ | 0 | 8 | 0 | 7½ | 0 | 7½ | 0 | 7½ | |
| Beef, Chilled or Frozen: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ribs | … | … | per lb. | 0 | 7¼ | 0 | 10¼ | 0 | 10½ | 0 | 10½ | 0 | 9¾ | 0 | 9¼ | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8¾ |
| Thin Flank | … | perlb. | 0 | 4¾ | 0 | 5½ | 0 | 5¾ | 0 | 5¾ | 0 | 5¼ | 0 | 4¾ | 0 | 4½ | 0 | 4½ | 0 | 4½ | |
| Mutton, British: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Legs | … | … | per lb. | 0 | 10½ | 1 | 8 | 1 | 6¼ | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5¼ | 1 | 3¼ | 1 | 2½ | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3¼ |
| Breast | … | … | perlb. | 0 | 64 | 0 | 11¼ | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 9¼ | 0 | 8 | 0 | 7½ | 0 | 7½ | 0 | 7½ |
| Mutton, Frozen: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Legs | … | … | per lb. | 0 | 6¾ | 1 | 0¼ | 0 | 11¾ | 0 | 11½ | 0 | 10½ | 0 | 9½ | 0 | 9¼ | 0 | 9¾ | 0 | 9¾ |
| Breast | … | … | per lb. | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5¼ | 0 | 5¼ | 0 | 5¼ | 0 | 4½ | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3¾ | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3¾ |
| Bacon, Streaky (a) | … | per lb. | 0 | 11¼ | 1 | 4½ | 1 | 5½ | 1 | 4 | 0 | 11½ | 0 | 10 | 0 | 11½ | 1 | l¾ | 1 | 1¾ | |
| Flour | … | … | per 7 lb. | 0 | 10½ | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3¾ | 1 | 3¼ | 0 | 11½ | 0 | 11¾ | 1 | 0¼ | 1 | 0¼ | 1 | 0¾ |
| Bread | … | … | per 4 lb. | 0 | 5¾ | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8¾ | 0 | 8½ | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7¼ | 0 | 7½ | 0 | 7½ | 0 | 7¾ |
| Tea | … | … | per lb. | 1 | 6¼ | 2 | 4¾ | 2 | 1¾ | 1 | ll¾ | 1 | 10¼ | 1 | 9 | 1 | 9½ | 1 | l1¼ | 1 | 11½ |
| Sugar, Granulated | … | per lb. | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5½ | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2¾ | 0 | 2½ | 0 | 2½ | 0 | 2½ | 0 | 2¼ | 0 | 2¼ | |
| Milk | … | … | per qt. | 0 | 3½ | 0 | 6¼ | 0 | 6¼ | 0 | 6¼ | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5¾ | 0 | 6¼ | 0 | 6¼ |
| Butter, Fresh | … | perlb. | 1 | 2½ | 2 | 1¼ | 1 | 11¾ | 1 | 8¼ | 1 | 5¼ | 1 | 4¼ | 1 | 2¼ | 1 | 1¼ | 1 | 2¼ | |
| " Salt | … | … | per lb. | 1 | 2¼ | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10¼ | 1 | 6¾ | 1 | 3½ | 1 | 2½ | 1 | 0½ | 0 | 11¼ | 1 | 0½ |
| Cheese (b) | … | … | perlb. | 0 | 8¾ | 1 | 1¾ | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10¾ | 0 | 10½ | 0 | 9¼ | 0 | 8¾ | 0 | 8¼ |
| Margarine | … | … | per lb. | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6¾ | 0 | 7½ | 0 | 7¼ | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6¾ | 0 | 6¼ | 0 | 5½ | 0 | 5¼ |
| Eggs, Fresh | … | … | each | 0 | 1¼ | 0 | 2½ | 0 | 2¼ | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1¾ | 0 | 1¾ | 0 | 1½ | 0 | 1½ | 0 | 1½ |
| Potatoes | … | … | per 7 lb. | 0 | 4¾ | 0 | l0¾ | 0 | 6½ | 0 | 5¾ | 0 | 8¾ | 0 | 8¾ | 0 | 5½ | 0 | 6¼ | 0 | 6¾ |
| Fish (c) | (Index number) | 100 | 211 | 214 | 209 | 205 | 201 | 198 | 201 | 201 | |||||||||||
| (a) If this kind is seldom dealt with in a locality, the returns quote the prices of another kind locally representative. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (b) Tho description of cheese for which prices are quoted is in most cases Canadian or New Zealand, but in some districts the returns quote the prices of another kind locally representative. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (c) The available data are insufficient to provide a satisfactory basis for the calculation of annual averages of the retail prices of fish: the index-numbers given show the approximate ratio of prices in each year to those of July, 1914, as indicated by the returns received. |