HC Deb 26 June 1964 vol 697 cc132-3W
Sir Richard Glyn

asked the Minister of Labour what weight was given to each of the following items in the Index of Retail Prices for selected households in October, 1951, or on the date when it first appeared in the Index, namely, total alcoholic drink, with details for each item considered, total tobacco, radio and television appliances, radio and television licences and set rentals, and purchase and maintenance of motor vehicles, including motor bicycles and motor scooters; by what proportion this weight has varied up to the last revision of the Index; and if he will state the method of selection of the households whose expenditure is included in the Index at the present time and in October, 1951.

Mr. Godber

The information asked for is given in the following table. The

Weight out of 1,000
— June, 1947 or when first included in index January, 1964 Percentage change in weight between June, 1947 (or when first included in the index) and January, 1964
Per cent.
Total alcoholic drink 101 63 − 38
Beer 93 41 − 56
Spirits, wines, etc.* 8 22 + 175
Total tobacco 116 74 − 36
Radio and television appliances, including repairs† 5 8 + 60
Radio and television licences and set rentals‡ 3 10 + 233
Purchase and maintenance of motor vehicles, including motor bicycles and scooters 14 37 + 164
(first included in January, 1956)
* The price indicators were whisky from June, 1947 to January, 1956, whisky and gin from January, 1956 to January, 1962, and whisky, gin and sherry from January, 1962.
† The price indicators were radio sets from June, 1947 to January, 1956, and radio and television sets and repairs to television sets from January, 1956.
‡ The price indicators were radio licences from June, 1947 to January, 1956, and radio and television-radio licences and set rentals from January, 1956.

The weighting pattern of the index between June, 1947, and January, 1952, was based on the expenditure in 1937–38 (adjusted to prices at June, 1947), of manual workers in general and non-manual workers with wages or salaries not exceeding £250 a year. The weighting pattern in 1964 is based on the expenditure in the three years ended June, 1963, of all households other than

  1. (a) those the head of which had a recorded gross income of £30 a week or more in 1960–62 or £35 a week or more in 1963, and
  2. (b) those in which at least three-quarters of the total income was derived from National Insurance retirement or similar pensions and/or National Assistance paid in supplementation or instead of such pensions.