§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked 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. FennerThe 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.
527W528W529W
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. Dormandasked 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. FennerThe 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