HC Deb 05 July 1956 vol 555 c139W
Mr. Oliver

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to give the purchasing power of the £ for each of the years 1942 to date.

Mr. H. Macmillan

I regret that figures are not available between 1939 and 1945. Using 1946 as a base, however, the figures, based on the Consumer Price Index up to 1955, and the Index of Retail Prices thereafter, are as follows:

s. d.
1946 … … … … 20 0
1947 … … … … 18 9
1948 … … … … 17 5
1949 … … … … 17 0
1950 … … … … 16 5
1951 … … … … 15 2
1952 … … … … 14 5
1953 … … … … 14 1
1954 … … … … 13 10
1955 … … … … 13 5
1956 … … … … 12 8*
* Derived from Retail Price Index for May, 1956.