§ Mr. Tinkerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the recent increase on the price of coal as to how he intends to balance the cost of living so it will not rise to a point higher than it was before the price of coal was increased?
§ Sir K. WoodI said on 2nd July in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Moseley (Sir P. Hannon) that the Government would continue their policy of controlling the cost of living as stated in my Budget Speech and in particular would effect such reductions in the retail price of other commodities which enter into that cost as may be necessary to compensate for the increase in domestic coal prices. I did not undertake that the general index number would remain at the same level as on 1st July; indeed at this time of year some seasonal increase is to be expected. But, as the Minister of Food announced on 15th July, measures have been taken to secure a progressive reduction in the price of potatoes as from 16th July.