§ Mr. Ellis Smithasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the costs in tabular form for the following goods purchased in industrial areas for the years 1938, 1947, namely, men's suits, shoes, underclothes, shirts, overcoats, children's shoes, average children's clothing, women's shoes, underclothes, average women's clothes, furnishing an average working-class house, and average household needs.
§ Mr. H. WilsonI regret that comparable figures for 1938 and 1947 are not available. The figures below relate to the year 1947. As far as utility goods are concerned, there are a large number of items in nearly every one of the classes of goods mentioned. The range of retail ceiling prices for these and other essential household goods is shown in the following 209W table, but by no means all goods are sold at ceiling prices.
— Maximum Prices. Lowest. Highest. £ s. d. £ s. d. UTILITY CLOTHING. Men's three-piece suits (ready made). 3 6 9 9 0 2 Men's boots and shoes 1 5 1 2 11 3 Men's vests (woollen) 7 5 8 9 Men's shirts with two collars. 10 0 1 2 4 Men's overcoats (S.B.) 2 18 6 8 15 10 Women's and maids' dresses. 16 5 6 6 7 Women's boots and shoes. 17 6 1 19 1 Women's vests (woollen) 6 1 19 6 Women's knickers 3 2 10 7 Women's overcoats 3 16 4 7 8 8 Girls' overcoats 2 5 7 5 14 3 Infants' and girls' rayon dresses. 10 6 1 18 0 Infants' and girls' vests (woollen). 3 5 9 4 Infants' cotton knickers 1 7½ 1 9½ Infants' and children's boots and shoes. 1 7 1 4 3 UTILITY FURNITURE. Wardrobe (4') 20 6 6 34 10 0 Dressing chest or table 9 9 9 23 0 0 Tallboy 12 8 3 20 0 0 Bedstead (4' 6") 4 4 0 10 17 6 Sideboard 13 17 0 21 0 0 Dining table 8 2 9 12 14 3 Dining chair 1 14 3 3 8 9 Kitchen chair 18 3 1 3 3 Stuffover easy chair 7 1 3 18 11 0 Stuffover settee 12 4 0 29 6 0 HOUSEHOLD GOODS. Earthenware: Teacup and saucer 1 0½ 1 3½ Breakfast cup and saucer. 1 4 1 8 Tea plate 6½ 8½ Breakfast plate 9 10½ Dinner plate 11½ 1 3½ Linoleum (jaspe) 7 2 1 8 8* per square yard. Carpets 15 6 2 5 5* per square yard. * Exclusive of Purchase Tax.