§ Sir W. Robson-Brownasked the Minister of Labour the cumulative effect of increases in prices of coal, both direct and indirect, upon the cost-of-living index for the years 1946 to the latest available date, expressed in percentage increase.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe direct effect of the net increases in the retail prices of coal on the cost of living index from January, 1946, up to June, 1947, and on the interim and new index of retail prices from June, 1947, up to June, 1957, has been to raise the "all items" figure by270W just over 3 per cent. I can make no estimate of the indirect effects of these increases.