Mr. CATHCART WASONasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the actual cost of the average quality of bread, butter, jam, cheese, bacon, meat, oatmeal, tea and sugar at the present time and the price ruling for the same articles on 1st March, 1914?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe average prices paid by the working classes for certain articles of food in March, 1914, and March, 1915, were as follows:—
The figures relate to the average of retail prices in eighty of the principal towns of the United Kingdom. Article. 1st March, 1914. 1st March 1915. Per 4 lbs. Per 4 lbs Bread … 5½d. 7¾d. Butter— Per lb. Per lb. Fresh … 1s. 3¾d. 1s. 4½d. Salt … 1s. 3d. 1s. 3¾d. *Jam … 5d. 5¾d. Cheese … 8¾d. 10¼d. †Bacon … 11d. 1s. Beef, English— Ribs … 9¾d. 11d. Thin flank … 6½d. 7¾d. Beef, chilled or frozen— Ribs … 7½d. 8¾d. Thin flank … 5d. 6½d. Mutton, English— Leg … 10¾d. 11¾d. Breast … 6¼d. 7½d. Mutton, frozen— Leg … 6¾d. 8¼d Breast … 4¼d. 5½d. Oatmeal, Scotch … 2d., 2¼d. 2¾d. Tea … 1s. 6d. 1s. 9¼d. Sugar, Granulated … 2d. 3¼d. * The figures stated are the means of the prices of three popular kinds of jam. † The kind of bacon enumerated on the form of inquiry is "streaky," but in places in which such bacon has only a small sale, the price of the popular local variety is substituted.