HC Deb 30 November 1953 vol 521 cc765-6
51. Mr. McKay

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the in crease in the cost of living since the National Insurance Act was passed in 1946, taking the Ministry of Labour cost- of-living indexes from June, 1947.

Mr. Peake

On the basis of the Interim Index of Retail Prices and the earlier cost-of-living index which it superseded in June, 1947, the answer would be about 40 per cent.

Mr. McKay

Is the Minister aware that the income and expenditure figures quoted in the blue book, taken in conjunction with output, show a rise in 1946–47 of about 7.2 per cent. and that the London and Cambridge indices, which carry on from 1938 onwards, indicate a rise of 6½ per cent from 1946 to 1947, which indicates that there was a fairly substantial rise in price in 1946 and 1947? If the Minister—[Hon. Members: "Speech."]—allows for that in the Ministry of Labour index, he will find from all the figures relating to the subject that the rise in prices was 50 per cent.

Mr. Peake

Both the original Question and the answer which I gave dealt with the Ministry of Labour interim index. That was devised by the Socialist Government, and it is on the basis of that index that I have made the calculation.

Mr. Speaker

Mrs. White.

Mr. McKay

On a point of order. The whole point is—

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member cannot continue his long supplementary question under the guise of a point of order.