HC Deb 16 April 1913 vol 51 cc1964-5W
Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANS

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the prices of commodities in the year 1912 show an increase over the prices of the same commodities in the year 1911; and, if so, what is the amount of the increase measured as a percentage of the prices of the year 1911; and to what cause or causes such increase is attributed?

Mr. BUXTON

The index number of wholesale prices obtained by weighting the percentage changes in prices of forty-five articles in accordance with their estimated consumption was 115.0 in 1912, compared with 109.3 in 1911, an increase of 5.2 per cent. The causes affecting prices are very complex, and I am afraid that I could not, in reply to a question, give an adequate explanation of the rise in prices throughout the world during recent years.