§ Mr. Longdenasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what has been the percentage rise in charges made by the nationalised industries compared with the rise in the Retail Price Index in the periods 1958 to 1964 and 1964 to 1970, respectively.
§ Mr. Dell:Following are the percentage rises:
15th April, 1958 to 14th April, 1964 14th April, 1964 to 21st April, 1970 General Index of Retail Prices 13.8 31.1 Index of Prices of Goods and Services mainly produced by nationalised industries* included in the General Index of Retail Prices 27.1 33.2 * The items included in this index are coal,coke, gas, electricity, road and rail passenger transport, and postal and telephone services.
§ Mr. Longdenasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what has been the average rise in prices charged by nationalised industries since 512W 1946 compared with the rise in the Retail Price Index.
§ Mr. Dell:The rise between 17th June, 1947 and 21st April, 1970 in the average level of retail prices and charges for goods and services provided mainly by nationalised industries, included in the retail prices index, namely coal, coke, gas, electricity, road and rail passenger transport, postal and telephone services, was about 240 per cent. During the same period the retail prices index as a whole rose by about 150 per cent.