§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the President of the Board of Trade in real terms, and expressed as a percentage of the 1994 figure, what is the annual average for the electricity component of the retail prices index in(a) 1979, (b) at the time of privatisation and (c) at the present time. [7031]
§ Mr. LangIn real terms, domestic electricity prices, excluding VAT, have fallen by 7 per cent. between privatisation—taken to be the second quarter of 1990—and the third quarter of 1995. The detailed information requested is given in the table.
1081W
Index number in current terms1 Real terms index number2 Percentage of 1994 figure 1979 44.2 96.4 100.2 1990 100.0 100.0 104.0 1994 112.5 96.2 100.0 1995 [...]111.9 93.6 97.3 1 The average of the monthly electricity components of the Retail Prices Index over the year (rebased to 1990=100). 2 Using the Gross Domestic Product (market prices) deflator with 1990=100. [...] The average of the monthly electricity components of the Retail Prices Index over the period January to November (rebased to 1990= 100). Data exclude VAT at 8 per cent. which became payable from 1 April 1994.