HC Deb 05 December 1950 vol 482 c33W
Mr. Granville

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the relative cost of living index figures for the years between 1935 to 1939, and 1945 to 1949.

Mr. Isaacs

There are no official statistics giving the relative cost of living from 1935 to 1949. The cost of living index, which was based on a 1914 standard of living, was terminated in June, 1947, and was replaced by the present interim index of retail prices, with the average level of retail prices at 17th June, 1947, represented by 100. The two indices are radically different in scope and method of compilation, and it is not possible to obtain any reliable comparison of pre-war and post-war cost of living or price levels by linking the two indices together.

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