§ Captain TERRELLasked the Minister of Agriculture the retail prices of the various articles of food and clothing consumed by, or used by, the agricultural labourer now and in the first half of 1914?
§ Sir M. BARLOWI have been asked to reply. No statistics have been collected relating specially to the prices paid by agricultural labourers for food and clothing. The following figures, however, show the average prices of the principal articles of food consumed by working-class families, generally, in over 400 of the smaller towns (with populations ranging generally from about 2,000882W to 50,000) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
As regard clothing, I am sending the hon. and gallant Member a copy of the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" for February, on page 45 of which an article appears, giving comparative figures as to the cost of clothing of the kinds generally purchased by working-class families at July, 1914, and February, 1923. The figures relate in the main to the prices charged in the larger towns, and similar information is not available for the smaller towns and villages.
Article. Average Prices (per lb. unless otherwise Article. indicated) at July, 1914. 1st March,1923. s. d. s. d. Beef, British— Ribs 0 9¾ 1 5½ Thin Flank 0 7 0 11¼ Beef, Imported— Ribs 0 7¼ 0 10¼ Thin Flank 0 5 0 6¼ Mutton, British— Leg 0 10½ 1 8¾ Breast 0 7 1 0½ Mutton, Imported Leg 0 7 1 0¾ Breast 0 4¼ 0 5¾ Bacon (Streaky)* 0 11½ 1 6¼ Flour per 7 lbs. 0 10½ 1 3¾ Bread per 4 lbs. 0 5¾ 0 9 Tea 1 6¾ 2 7¼ Sugar (Granulated) 0 2¼ 0 6¾ Milk per quart 0 3¼ 0 6¾ Butter— Fresh 1 2½ 2 3 Salt 1 2¼ 2 1 Cheese† 0 8¾ 1 4½ Margarine 0 7¼ 0 6¾ Eggs, Fresh each 0 1¼ 0 2¼ Potatoes per 7 lbs. 0 5¼ 0 4¾ * If this kind is seldom dealt with in a locality the returns quote the price for another kind locally representative. † The description of cheese specified for quotation is Canadian or American, but where such cheese is seldom sold in a locality the returns quote the price of another kind locally representative.