§ Mr. Boardmanasked the Minister of Labour if he will explain the term "Working-class cost-of-living index" used in table 126, Wages and Prices of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics"; and whether this signifies the official acceptance of two standards of living or assumes the consumption of the workers to be limited to commodities listed in the antiquated standard of assessment
§ Mr. IsaacsThe term "working-class cost-of-living index" in the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" means the official cost of-living index instituted in 1914 on the basis of information about working-class family budgets collected in 1904. The method of calculating the official index figure is described in a Stationery Office publication issued in June, 1944, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative.