§ 53. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether, taking the year 1945 as equalling 100, he will give for either the calendar or financial year the number of occasions to date when the standard of living fell compared with the preceding year; and by what percentage it fell in each instance.
§ Mr. Harold LeverChanges in the standard of living can be measured either by changes in the purchasing power of personal disposable income per head of the population or by changes in consumers' expenditure at constant prices per head. Between 1947 and 1948 both measures showed a fall, by 2.7 per cent. in personal disposable income and by 1.2 per cent. in expenditure. Between 1950 and 1951 both measures showed a fall of 1.4 per cent. Between 1951 and 1952 the expenditure measure showed a fall of 0.8 per cent., but disposable income rose by 1.1 per cent. Between 1961 and 1962 disposable income dropped slightly by 0.3 per cent. but expenditure rose by 1.1 per cent.