HC Deb 11 April 1975 vol 889 cc497-9W
Mr. Marten

asked 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 Williams

Details 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 Index 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.

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.