§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he has further plans to extend the local price inflation survey scheme; and whether consideration has been given to encouraging the involvement of more voluntary groups in this scheme.
§ Mr. MaclennanWe introduced the present local price survey scheme in the latter part of 1975 as part of the Government's anti-inflation programme. It will continue to the end of 1976–77 financial year, and we are now considering what arrangements should apply after that date.
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Weekly surveys Occasional food surveys Coal and/or sanitary protection England Greater London … … … 44 — 25 South East … … … 37 13 36 SouthWest … … … 8 2 — Midlands … … … 53 — 24 East Anglia … … … 1 — — North West … … … 41 — 24 North East … … … 57 3 51 Scotland Strathclyde … … … 16 2 49 Lothian … … … 8 — — Fife … … … 3 — 6 Western Isles … … … 1 — — Grampian … … … — 1 — Perth … … … — 1 — Wales North Wales … … … 4 — — South Wales … … … 24 — 17 Total … … … 297 22 232 We have given every encouragement to voluntary bodies to participate where surveys were not already being conducted by local authorities. We have approached the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and the National Federation of Consumer Groups as well as giving help to particular bodies like the North Staffordshire National Housewives Association and Southampton University which showed an interest. In addition, the TUC has drawn the attention of local trades councils to the scheme and asked them to help in any way they can. As few voluntary bodies have the have been made have actually been carried necessary resources to persist with local price surveys every week, their main contribution has been in occasional surveys in areas not covered by weekly price comparisons.
§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many grants for collection of local price information have been made by his Department in each United Kingdom region since the inception of the scheme.
§ Mr. MaclennanWe have now approved 297 schemes for weekly price comparisons and a further 22 schemes for occasional comparisons of food prices. In addition, we are giving grants in shopping centres for quarterly surveys of the prices of coal and/or sanitary protection. We plan to give grants in the near future for occasional surveys of the prices of petrol and of goods in small packs. The breakdown by regions is as follows:
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§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what proof his Department requires that local price information collection schemes, for which grants have been made have actually been carried out; and whether there is any monitoring of the effectiveness of these schemes.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe vast majority of the local price comparison schemes are carried out by local authorities. We receive from each body responsible for a scheme copies of the weekly survey results and details of the measures they have taken to publicise those results. A considerable number of the surveys have been visited and seen in action. The bodies concerned are also obliged to maintain financial records which are subject to audit.
Participants in the surveys have generally reported a good public recep-
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Centre Opening date Bridgend … … … … … … … … … 26th February 1976 Portsmouth … … … … … … … … … 15th March 1976 Wallsend … … … … … … … … … 1st April 1976 Coventry … … … … … … … … … 14th April 1976 Swadlincote … … … … … … … … … 23rd April 1976 Dudley … … … … … … … … … 30th April 1976 Stevenage … … … … … … … … … 1st May 1976 Norwich … … … … … … … … … 7th May 1976 Wakefield … … … … … … … … … 7th May 1976 Aberdeen … … … … … … … … … 7th June 1976 Hereford West (M) Covering main towns throughout whole county … 15th June 1976 Hereford East 19th July 1976 Swansea … … … … … … … … … 2nd July 1976 Thanet (M) Covering main shopping areas … … … … … 27 th July 1976 Lambeth … … … … … … … … … 31st July 1976 Clwyd (M) Covering main residential and industrial centres … … 2nd August 1976 Wrexham … … … … … … … … … 2nd August 1976 Ripley … … … … … … … … … 23rd August 1976 Wandsworth … … … … … … … … … 1st September 1976 Lerwick … … … … … … … … … 1st September 1976 South Strathclyde (M) Covering locations outside main areas not covered by a CAC 14th September 1976 Grimsby … … … … … … … … … 23rd September 1976 Edinburgh (M) Covering main towns in Region … … … … 24th September 1976 Cambridge … … … … … … … … … 27th September 1976 Peterborough … … … … … … … … … 27th September 1976 Plymouth … … … … … … … … … 1st October 1976 Islington … … … … … … … … … 1st October 1976 Worksop … … … … … … … … … 18th October 1976 Wythenshawe … … … … … … … … … 26th October 1976 Leigh … … … … … … … … … 26th October 1976 Bedfordshire (M) Covering main areas of population in Mid and South Bedfordshire 1st November 1976 tion for them. A small pilot study of consumer reaction was undertaken in May in certain centres. The results, though undoubtedly not representative of all centres, indicated that the surveys were welcomed by the public.