HC Deb 23 November 1973 vol 864 cc526-9W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT as much detailed information as may be readily available showing the number of food items which have increased and decreased in price since June 1970; and the amounts of such increases and reductions on either a price or percentage basis;

(2) whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT as much detailed information as may be readily available giving the price of eggs, fish, bread, butter, meat, bacon, ham, frozen fish, and canned meats in June 1970 and October 1973, their present prices, and what has been the percentage rise in each instance during this period.

Mrs. Fenner

The following table shows the average retail prices of about 80 important items of food, as collected for the purposes of the Index of Retail Food Prices, on 16th June 1970 and 16th October 1973, the latest date for which information is available, and the percentage and money value changes between those dates.

AVERAGE RETAIL FOOD PRICE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
June 1970—October 1973
Item Average price p 16th June 1970 Average price p 16th October 1973 p change Percentage change
Beef: home-killed
Chuck 31.8 55.6 +23.8 +74.8
Sirloin (without bone) 44.8 78.3 +33.5 +74.8
Silverside (without bone)* 41.6 67.9 +26.3 +63.2
Back ribs (with bone)* 28.3 50.5 +22.2 +78.4
Fore ribs (with bone) 28.0 48.9 +20.9 +74.6
Brisket (with bone) 18.2 36.3 +18.1 +99.5
Rump steak* 57.2 92.7 +35.5 +62.1
Beef: imported chilled
Chuck 26.4 51.0 +24.6 +93.2
Silverside (without bone)* 33.8 60.8 +27.0 +79.9
Rump steak* 46.2 78.6 +32.4 +70.1
Lamb: home-killed
Loin (with bone) 36.4 60.2 +23.8 +65.4
Breast* 11.2 18.5 +7.3 +65.2
Best end of neck 28.0 46.3 +18.3 +65.4
Shoulder (with bone) 26.5 41.3 +14.8 +55.8
Leg (with bone) 35.6 57.0 +21.4 +60.1
Lamb: imported
Loin (with bone) 25.8 52.2 +26.4 +102.3
Breast* 6.3 14.8 +8.5 +134.9
Best end of neck 21.0 43.5 +22.5 +107.1
Shoulder (with bone) 18.5 37.6 +19.1 +103.2
Leg (with bone) 28.1 54.7 +26.6 +94.7
Pork: home-killed
Leg (foot off) 28.0 47.7 +19.7 +70.4
Belly* 18.1 32.2 +14.1 +77.9
Loin (with bone) 33.5 55.2 +21.7 +64.8
Sausages
Pork 18.8 27.5 +8.7 +46.3
Beef 15.5 24.7 +9.2 +59.4
Roasting chicken
Broiler, frozen, 3 lb. 15.9 26.8 +10.9 +68.6
Fresh or chilled, 4 lb. (oven ready) 19.5 28.5 +9.0 +46.2
Fresh fish
Cod fillets 20.8 45.9 +25.1 +120.7
Haddock fillets 25.2 48.7 +23.5 +93.3
Haddock, smoked, whole 23.0 43.6 +20.6 +89.6
Plaice fillets 32.4 55.7 +23.3 +71.9
Halibut cuts 45.6 79.0 +33.4 +73.2
Herrings 11.4 20.9 +9.5 +83.3
Kippers (with bone) 15.1 27.3 +12.2 +80.8
Fresh vegetables
Potatoes, old, loose—
White 2.6 2.3 -0.3 -11.5
Red 2.7 2.7
Potatoes, new, loose 4.5
Tomatoes 17.9 21.6 +3.7 +20.7
Cabbage, greens 4.0 5.6 +1.6 +40.0
Cabbage, hearted 4.3 5.0 +0.7 +16.3
Cauliflower or broccoli 7.5 10.2 +2.7 +36.0
Brussels sprouts 8.4
Peas
Runner beans
Carrots 5.1 4.3 -0.8 -15.7
Onions 6.5 5.3 -1.2 -18.5
Mushrooms, per ¼ lb. 6.0 8.1 +2.1 +35.0
Fresh fruit
Apples, cooking 6.8 8.3 +1.5 +22.1
Apples, dessert 9.5 10.6 +1.1 +11.6
Pears, dessert 9.1 11.3 +2.2 +24.2
Oranges 6.5 10.3 +3.8 +58.5
Bananas 8.1 11.3 +3.2 +39.5

Item Average price p 16th June 1970 Average price p 16th October 1973 p change Percentage change
Bread
White, 1¾ lb. wrapped and sliced loaf 9.0 11.3 +2.3 +25.6
White, 1¾ lb. unwrapped loaf 8.8 11.4 +2.6 +29.5
White, 14 oz. loaf 5.2 7.5 +2.3 +44.2
Brown, 14 oz. loaf 6.0 8.3 +2.3 +38.3
Flour
Self-raising, per 3 lb. 9.7 14.0 +4.3 +44.3
Bacon
Collar* 23.7 44.0 +20.3 +85.7
Gammon* 34.6 61.2 +26.6 +76.9
Middle cut, smoked* 30.9 56.5 +25.6 +82.8
Back, smoked 33.4 63.0 +29.6 +88.6
Back, unsmoked 32.3 60.9 +28.6 +88.5
Streaky, smoked 22.0 42.8 +20.8 +94.5
Ham (not shoulder) 54.5 81.0 +26.5 +48.6
Pork luncheon meat, 12 oz. can 13.5 19.7 +6.2 +45.9
Canned (red) salmon, ½-size can 27.8 48.8 +21.0 +75.5
Milk, ordinary, per pint 4.6 5.5 +0.9 +19.6
Butter
New Zealand 16.8 21.1 +4.3 +25.6
Danish 20.0 24.2 +4.2 +21.0
Margarine, per ½ lb.
Standard quality (without added butter) 5.3 7.1 +1.8 +34.0
Lower priced 4.3 6.3 +2.0 +46.5
Lard 8.6 12.7 +4.1 +47.7
Cheese, cheddar type 18.3 32.5 +14.2 +77.6
Eggs, per doz.
Large 22.1 44.2 +22.1 +100.0
Standard 18.8 41.9 +23.1 +122.9
Medium 15.9 39.2 +23.3 +146.5
Sugar, granulated, 2 lb. 7.4 10.2 +2.8 +37.8
Instant coffee, per 4 oz. 24.7 32.2 +7.5 +30.4
Tea, per ¼ lb.
Higher priced 10.0 10.8 +0.8 +8.0
Medium priced 7.8 8.3 +0.5 +6.4
Lower priced 7.3 8.0 +0.7 +9.6
* Or Scottish equivalent.
† Insufficient or no quotations.
Information is not available for frozen fish.
Source: Department of Employment.

Mr. Dormand

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage increase in all food prices in each of the last three complete years, and the increase in 1973 to the latest available date.

Mrs. Fenner

The percentage increase in the Food Index was as follows:

January 1970-January 1971: 9.1
January 1971-January 1972: 11.5
January 1972-January 1973: 10.1
January 1973-October 1973: 13.7