§ Mr. NEEDHAMasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state in comparative form last year's prices and this year's prices, made up to the latest available dates, of food-stuffs in Germany and England, for bread, butter, lard, beef, sugar, bacon, mutton, pork, potatoes, peas, and haricot beans?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe following table shows the prices of these articles of food in London and Berlin for July, 1914, and 1915. In the case of bread the London price refers to bread made of wheaten flour, whereas in Berlin rye flour is used of a quality which has been reduced since the War. As regards meat also the statistical methods used are so different as to make any comparison of actual prices very difficult. It should also be noted that the London prices refer to the 1st of July in each year, whereas the Berlin prices are the average of several ascertainments during July:—
Article. London. Berlin. 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Rye Bread per 4 lbs. — — 6 8½ Wheaten Bread per 4 lbs. 5½ 8¼ 10* 1 0¾ Butter Fresh per lb. 1 1¾ 1 4 1 2 1 8¼ Salt 1 1¼ 1 3¾ Lard per lb. 8¼ 8¾ 8¼ 8¼ Beef (average of several cuts) per lb. — — 9 l 1¼ Beef (English, Ribs) per lb. 10¾ 1 2½ — — Beef (English, Thin Flank) per lb. 5¾ 9 — — Beef (Chilled or Frozen, Ribs) per lb. 71/4 11 — — Beef (Chilled or Frozen, Thin Flank) per lb. 3¾ 7½ — — Mutton (average of several cuts) per lb. — — 11 1 3¾ Mutton (English, Legs) per lb. 10¼ 1 1 — — Mutton (English, Breast) per lb. 5¼ 8½ — — Mutton (Frozen, Legs) per lb. 6½ 9½ — — Mutton (Frozen, Breast) per lb. 3½ 6¼ — — Pork per lb. 8¾ 11½ 8¾ 1 6¼ Bacon per lb. 11¼ 1 1¼ 9 1 8½ Sugar (Granulated) per lb. 2 3¼ 2¾ 3¼ Potatoes per 7 lbs. 4½ 4¾ 3 5½ Peas (split) per lb. 2 3¼ 2¼ 7 Haricot Beans per lb. 2½ 2¾ 2¾ 7½ *Fancy Bread.