HC Deb 22 April 1959 vol 604 cc364-6
6 Mrs. Mann

asked the Minister of Labour (1) what reductions in number of contents took place within boxes of non-food commodities sold to the public within the past year and selected for sampling in calculating the Index of Retail Prices; what fluctuations have taken place within the same period in contents of food and non-food commodities sold in tubes without stated weight and similarly selected; and how far these fluctuations in weight or number were reflected in the price, as ascertained in calculating the Index of Retail Prices;

(2) what fluctuations in weight took place in food and non-food commodities sold in cellophane wraps without stated weight within the past year; and how far these weight changes affected the value of the items selected in compiling the Index of Retail Prices;

(3) how many weight changes have occurred in packet goods within the past year; and how far weight reductions lowered or increased the value of the packets and were reflected in the Index of Retail Prices, as ascertained through the selections made for the purpose of calculating and constructing the Index.

Mr. Iain Macleod

As regards those items used as price indicators for the Index of Retail Prices, most of the changes in contents or weight of this type take place in respect of food items for which quotations are obtained by weight even if the commodity is not sold by weight. Any such weight changes are therefore automatically taken into account.

As regards those items on which information about changes in net weight or contents is obtained from the manufacturers, it is not my practice to disclose details of the price changes of individual commodities.

Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade have the other information for which the hon. Lady asks.

Mrs. Mann

I am deprived of three supplementary questions by the right hon. Gentleman answering these three Questions together. I should like to ask him if it is still a practice of his Department to write to certain firms asking whether they have made changes. If so, is it not rather like the policeman asking the burglar how many cribs he has cracked? Further, is it not the case that the weights and measures inspectors now find their occupation gone because in a pre-packed age everything is sold by the packet and not by weight?

Mr. Macleod

As far as the hon. Lady's first question is concerned, we still make this sort of inquiry from manufacturers, and, of course, we check when we can the replies which we get. The main point I would make in answer to the hon. Lady is that weight is taken into account, because even when commodities are not sold by weight we obtain quotations for weight. I know that this is an enormously complicated matter, and I am very anxious to make the Index of Retail Prices as efficient as I possibly can. If the hon. Lady would like to discuss the matter with my Director of Statistics, I am sure that he will he very pleased to meet her.