§ Sir R. Clarryasked the Minister of Labour whether he will state, in connection with the total cost-of-living figures at the latest convenient date, the average weekly direct expenditure on coal or coke, and give an estimate of the value of coal used in production in the aggregate of all other items of household expenditure or, alternatively, the direct and indirect influence of coal costs on the household budget?
1898W
§ Mr. E. BrownI regret that statistics are not available showing either the present average weekly household expenditure on coal or coke, or the average value of coal used in the production of other items of household expenditure. Inquiries made by the working-classes Cost of Living Committee in June, 1918, showed that the average weekly amount of coal which had been used over a period of some weeks by over 1,300 working-class households from whom information was obtained was about 1.7 cwt. No corresponding figure is available for any later date, but I hope that the family budget inquiry which I have recently instituted will provide information as to the present-day expenditure of working-class households on coal and coke.