HC Deb 15 December 1926 vol 200 cc2953-4W
Sir W. de FRECE

asked the President of the Board of Trade the retail price in Great Britain, averaged over the last five years, of bacon, ham, butter, lard, suet, and margarine?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I have been asked to reply. The yearly averages of the retail prices (per lb.) at the beginning of each month, in Great Britain, based on returns collected by the Ministry of Labour, were as hereafter given. The averages include quotations from Ireland in 1921 and 1922 and from Northern Ireland in 1923–6. Correspond- ing figures for ham, lard and suet are not available:

Year. Bacon.* Butter, Fresh. Butter, Salt. Margarine.
s. d. s. d. s. d. d.
1921 … 2 3½ 2 7¼ 2 6¼ 10
1922 … 1 9½ 2 0 1 10½ 7
1923 … 1 6¼ 1 11¾ 1 10¼ 16¾
1924 … 1 4½ 2 1¼ 2 0 6¾
1925 … 1 7 2 1½ 2 0 7½
1926 … 1 7¾ 1 11¼ 1 10 8¼
* The returns q tote prices for "streaky" bacon, unless that kind is seldom dealt with in a locality, in which case, prices are quoted for another kind locally representative.

Sir W. de FRECE

asked the President of the Board of Trade the retail price in Great Britain, averaged over the last five years, of flour of wheat, rye, maize, pea, or bean, including self-raising flour and cake flour, cornflour, oatmeal, rofled oats, rice, sago, tapioca, sugar, dried beans, dried currants, dried raisins, and dried sultanas?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I have been asked to reply. The yearly averages of the retail prices of flour (wheaten) and sugar (granulated) at the beginning of each month in Great Britain, based on returns collected by the Ministry of Labour, were as given below. The averages include quotations from Ireland in 1921 and 1922 and from Northern Ireland in 1923 to 1926:

Flour (wheaten) per 7 lbs. Sugar (granulated) per lb.
… … s. d. d.
1921 … … 2 0½ 7½
1922 … … 1 5¼ 5¾
1923 … … 1 3½ 6¾
1924 … … l 4 5½
1925 … … l 6¾ 3¾
1926 … … l 6¼ 3½
I regret that corresponding average prices for the other commodities specified in the question could not be given without considerable labour in extracting the detailed particulars, which moreover are not available for all the commodities or for the whole period.