§ 57. Mr. Oramasked the Minister of Labour to what extent the weights used in compiling the Index of Retail Prices correspond with the average pattern of 132W expenditure of persons living wholly or mainly on retirement pensions or National Assistance grants.
§ Mr. WhitelawDetails of the recorded expenditure of "special pensioner" and of "index" households for two recent years were published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette for December, 1961, and June, 1962, and I am sending copies to the hon. Member. In order to calculate the weights for the Index of Retail Prices certain adjustments have to be made to the expenditure figures including the adjustment to prices ruling at January, 1962—the base date of the index. There are considerable technical difficulties in making comparable adjustments to the expenditure figures for the special pensioner households.