§ 73. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Labour if he will publish in HANSARD a list of those commodity prices which are taken into account in compiling the retail prices index and which have risen since the date of the commencement of Anglo-French military operations against Egypt.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodA large number of the items priced for the index show minor prices changes from month to month and these are not significant. The most important price increases between 16th October and 11th December, the date of the latest published figure, were those for petrol, bread and flour, tea, sugar, some kinds of fruit, and cauliflower, together with the increase in National Health prescription charges and a seasonal rise in the price of coal. These were largely offset by lower prices for eggs, butter, beef, mutton and bacon, tomatoes and brussel sprouts. Fuller details are published in the monthly issues of the Ministry of Labour Gazette.