§ 2. Mr. Oliverasked the Minister of Labour what steps he took to ensure that the sample of houses from which rent figures are taken for the purpose of the Interim Price Index is drawn in such a way as to give adequate representation to those areas where rent increases have taken effect under the Housing Repairs and Rents Act.
§ Mr. WatkinsonFor this purpose, advice was obtained from the Technical Committee which assists the Cost of Living Advisory Committee on technical problems concerned with the Retail Prices Index. A representative sample of households in the 28 metropolitan boroughs and in 84 other areas was selected on a basis drawn up by this Committee, and all of these households have been visited in order to obtain information as to increases in their rents.
§ Mr. OliverCan the Parliamentary Secretary say what process is taken in order to ascertain the true increase that has taken place in respect of house rents when one part of a constituency can afford to pay increases in rent by reason of the fact that all the houses are owned by an industrial company, whereas in the rest of the constituency no increases have taken place at all?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe hon. and learned Gentleman is quite right. There is a difference, and we do differentiate very carefully between houses owned by municipalities and houses which come under the Act.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan the Minister say whether houses in Scotland are included in this representative sample?
§ Mr. WatkinsonYes, Sir.
§ 7. Mr. G. Jegerasked the Minister of Labour which items of food have so increased in price during the past month 1432 as to raise the cost-of-living index to 146; and when was the index last at that figure.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe rise was mainly due to the net effect of higher prices of tea, most kinds of meat and vegetables and cooking apples, and lower prices for eggs and tomatoes. There were also small increases in the average charges for coal, coke, gas, petrol, and laundry. The highest figure previously reached by the index was 145 in July, November, and December of last year.
§ Mr. JegerDoes that reply mean that the cost-of-living index figure has never been higher than it is today? Would the hon. Gentleman draw the attention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to that fact, bearing in mind that millions of people in this country do not receive the higher wages which I think the hon. Gentleman is just about to suggest?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI certainly agree that it is the highest figure, but I do not follow the hon. Gentleman in his remarks about a suggested supplementary answer. I ought to add that the wages index, which went up two points, is also at its highest figure.
§ Captain PilkingtonIs it not a fact that the rise in the cost of living has been substantially slowed down over the last two years?
§ 9. Sir H. Roperasked the Minister of Labour what lady members are included in the Cost of Living Advisory Committee; and their qualifications for being so included.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe Cost of Living Advisory Committee includes representatives of particular organisations and also independent members. Among the former is Mrs. R. Beale, O.B.E., who is the representative of the National Federation of Women's Institutes. The independent members include Mrs. T. Cazalet-Keir, C.B.E., who has had wide experience in public service and has served on numerous committees.
§ Sir H. RoperDoes not my hon. Friend's reply mean that by the composition of this committee for determining the method of calculation of the cost-of-living index and giving weight age to the various items included in it, the British housewife is strongly represented?
§ Mr. WatkinsonIt means that the very wide practical experience of the Women's Institutes is fully available to the committee.
§ Mr. G. ThomasIs not the Minister aware that there are plenty of organisations representing the working mothers? Why is there not one representative of a working-class home among the women on this committee?
§ Mr. WatkinsonWe put up no bar against any of the very large number of organisations who are represented on the committee appointing women members.
§ 14. Captain Pilkingtonasked the Minister of Labour what variation has taken place, since October, 1951, in the price of raisins, sultanas, pork luncheon meat, stewed steak, evaporated milk, skimmed sweetened milk, processed peas, imported baked beans, self-raising flour, butter beans, oatmeal, custard powder, suet, mincement, dates, and pepper, as taken into account for the cost-of-living index.
§ Mr. WatkinsonIt would be misleading for the reasons given in paragraph 84 of the Cost of Living Advisory Committee's Report (Command 8481), to make public figures of prices for individual items included in the Interim Index of Retail Prices. Figures are published, however, at quarterly intervals in the Ministry of Labour Gazette, showing the percentage changes in the prices of various groups of items.
§ Captain PilkingtonSince I believe that the price of all these commodities has in fact gone down, will my hon. Friend convey that fact to hon. Members opposite, so that they may use it in their speeches?
§ Mr. WoodburnWould the Minister explain why it is, if all prices are going down, as he says, the index is going up?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI did not lend myself to any statement as to whether prices were going up or down. I said that they could be found in our own publication.
§ 15. Captain Pilkingtonasked the Minister of Labour by what percentage food prices, as taken into account for the cost-of-living index, have risen since June, 1952; and by how much they rose in the2½ years previous to that date.
§ Mr. WatkinsonBetween June, 1952, and January, 1955, the food group of the Interim Index of Retail Prices rose by slightly under 10 per cent. It is not possible to give a precisely comparable figure for the 2½ years previous to June, 1952, because of alterations in the weighting basis of the index, but it is estimated that the rise in that period was roughly 36 per cent.
§ Captain PilkingtonIs my hon. Friend aware that his reply will make hon. Members opposite discover how well the Government are doing?
§ Mr. StokesWhile what the Minister says is no doubt true, especially the last part of his remarks, is he aware that bread, butter, cheese, sugar, meat, flour, and tea, which cost 14s. l0d. in October, 1951, cost 21s. 6d. in 1954, and how is he going to laugh that one off?
§ Mr. WatkinsonWhat I am aware of is that all hon. Members in this House at times find statistics inconvenient. It is my job, at this Box, to try to give the facts when I am asked to give them. That is what I have done.
§ 16. Captain Pilkingtonasked the Minister of Labour the percentage rise in the cost of living over the years 1952 to 1954, as compared with the preceding three years.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe Interim Index of Retail Prices rose by 20 per cent. between December, 1948, and December, 1951, and by 12 per cent. between December, 1951, and December, 1954.
§ Captain PilkingtonIs the Minister aware that the Government are to be congratulated again from all sides of the House?
§ Mr. DaltonAnd when all excuses have been made, is it not the case that after 3½ years of Tory rule the £ has never been worth less than now?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI have never found it necessary to make any excuses at this Box, but merely to give the facts.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe Index of Retail Prices figures are published monthly in the Ministry of Labour Gazette. The 1435 latest figure, which is 146, is given in this month's issue, which appeared this morning.
§ Mr. DoddsDoes the Minister appreciate that he and his friends got into office in October, 1951, when the index was standing at 129, and they got in on the undertaking that they intended to reduce the cost of living? Can the Minister state if there is any indication that this high record will be reduced in any way during the next few months?
§ Mr. WatkinsonNo, I have said already that it is not my job to look into the future in the crystal ball. It is my job to give the facts when I am asked for them. Another fact is that the index of wages is exactly level with the index of prices, which it certainly was not a few years ago.
§ Mr. StokesWill the Minister examine his conscience and remember that when the Tory Party got into power in 1951 they assured the country that the price of food generally would come down, and it has not; and will he laugh that one off, too?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI am not trying to laugh anything off, and when I examine my conscience I am fortified by the fact that I have given the facts, and the true facts.