§ Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what was the average retail price in July 1970 and at the latest available date for butter, beef, lamb, pork, bacon, chicken, Cheddar cheese, bread, flour, milk, dried milk, and sugar; and what she estimates the price would have been on 1st March 1975 if, apart from the green pound, the common agricultural policy had been in full operation on that date and there had been no consumer subsidies.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsDetails of average retail prices in the United Kingdom for 21st July 1970 and 18th February 1975 are given in the table below. During this period the Retail Food Index498W in the United Kingdom rose by 85 per cent. and world food prices, as measured by the NIESR index of export prices of primary producers, rose by 150.5 per cent.
The CAP establishes agricultural support prices for certain products. These cannot be translated directly into retail prices in hypothetical circumstances, because retail food prices are determined by many other factors, including the balance of supply and demand, and the costs of processing, manufacturing and distribution. The remaining adjustments to align United Kingdom support prices with the Community levels will be made in stages over the period to 1st January 1978. There is no commitment to phase out the green pound.
Food subsidies are estimated to have produced the following savings on retail prices:
Milk 2p per pint
Bread: Large loaf 2½p
Small loaf 1½p
Butter l1p per pound
Cheese 12p per pound
Tea 8p per pound
Flour 1p per pound
A proportion of the butter subsidy is contributed by Community funds.
The Exchequer contribution to food subsidies is not taken into account in the official estimates which show that present United Kingdom food prices are not on balance significantly affected one way or the other by our membership of the EEC.
499W
Price (new pence) per lb. Item 21st July 1970 18th February 1975 Butter: New Zealand … 17.3 26.0 Danish … 20.2 29.7 Beef (Home-killed): Chuck … 32.4 54.7 Sirloin … 45.9 83.2 Silverside … 42.4 73.4 Back ribs (with bone) … 28.9 51.4 Fore ribs (with bone) … 28.5 49.4 Brisket (with bone) … 18.6 — Brisket (without bone) … — 49.2 Rump steak … 58.6 98.1 Beef (Imported): Chuck … 27.3 49.9 Silverside … 34.8 67.5 Rump steak … 47.1 86.0 Lamb (Home-killed): Loin (with bone) … 36.5 66.1 Breast … 11.0 20.2 Best end of neck … 28.0 49.9 Shoulder (with bone) … 26.1 44.5 Leg … 35.3 62.9
Price (new pence) per lb. Item 21st July 1970 18th February 1975 Lamb (Imported): Loin (with bone) 26.5 51.5 Breast 6.6 14.5 Best end of neck 21.7 41.8 Shoulder (with bone) 19.0 34.8 Leg (with bone) 28.8 53.7 Pork (Home-killed): Leg (foot off) 28.1 51.7 Belly 18.2 36.6 Loin (with bone) 33.8 64.5 Bacon: Collar 23.9 50.6 Gammon 34.8 69.6 Middle cut, smoked 30.8 66.6 Back, smoked 33.3 72.5 Back, unsmoked 32.0 70.3 Streaky, smoked 21.9 53.8 Chicken: 31b. frozen broiler 16.4 28.2 51b. oven ready 19.5 — 41b. oven ready — 32.8 Cheddar cheese 18.5 40.7 Bread (white, 1¾lb.): wrapped and sliced loaf 9.0 15.3 unwrapped loaf 8.9 15.5 white, 140z. loaf 5.2 10.0 brown, 140z. loaf 6.0 10.9 Flour, self-raising, per 31b. 9.8 19.8 Milk, ordinary, per pint 4.6 5.0 Sugar, granulated, per 21b. 7.5 29.5 Retail prices for dried milk are not available.