§ 58. Mr. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage increase in prices there has been on the cost of carpets, decorated pottery, silver plated cutlery, electric lamps, heavy and light kitchen equipment, furniture and washing soda, during the year ended December, 1952.
§ Mr. H. StraussMost of the items set out in the Question comprise several commodities. The following figures represent average changes in the wholesale prices in the group concerned:
Item Change between December, 1951 and December, 1952 Carpets 1½ per cent. increase Silver plated spoons and forks 1 per cent. increase Electric lamps 15 per cent. increase Electric cookers (taken as a typical item of heavy kitchen equipment) 5½ per cent. increase Domestic hollow-ware (taken as typical of light kitchen equipment) 9 per cent. increase Washing soda 12½ per cent. Increase No figures of wholesale prices of furniture are available but the current issue of the Ministry of Labour Gazette states that the general level of retail prices changed very little during 1952.
Decorated pottery on the home market at the beginning of 1952 consisted of "export rejects" or "frustrated exports" and there is no reliable basis on which to compare prices.
186W
§ 59. Mr. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage Increase in price there has been on the cost of detergents and cleansers, glassware, floor polishes, ink, laundry charges, linoleum and floor coverings, metal polishes, paints and distempers, shoe polishes and toilet soaps, during the year ended December, 1952.
§ Mr. H. StraussMost of the items set out in the Question comprise several commodities. The following figures represent average changes in the wholesale prices in the group concerned:
Item Change between December, 1951 and December, 1952 Detergents 7 per cent. increase Glass containers 4 per cent. increase Other glassware 9 per cent. increase Metal polishes 15 per cent. increase Shoe polishes No change Floor polishes 9 per cent. increase Toilet soap 11 per cent. increase Ink No average figure is available but there have been increases up to 25 per cent. Linoleum 4½ per cent. decrease Paint for building and decorating) 2½ per cent. Decrease Corresponding figures for the movement in laundry charges are not available.