HC Deb 07 February 1974 vol 868 cc361-2W
18. Mr. Golding

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much he estimates the price of a slice of bread and butter has risen since June 1970.

Mrs. Fenner

This depends on the thickness of the slice and the butter, but a slice taken from a medium sliced loaf with ¼oz. of butter would have gone up in price by about one-fifth of a new penny.

23. Mr. Skinner

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage increase in food prices since June 1970.

28. Mr. William Price

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what percentage food prices have risen since June 1970.

33. Mr. Carter

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the cost of food has risen since 18th June 1970.

43. Mr. Meacher

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the cost of food has risen since 18th June 1970.

46. Mr. Thomas Cox

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage increase in food prices since June 1970.

47. Mr. O'Halloran

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on food prices.

Mrs. Fenner

This increase was discussed fully in reply to Questions from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Carter) and others on 31st January.—[Vol. 868, c. 603–7.]

37. Mr. Molyneaux

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the rise in the price of milk to the consumer by ½p per pint would have on the food price index and the retail price index; and to what extent this would offset the Milk Fund deficit.

Mrs. Fenner

A ½p rise in the retail price of a pint of milk would mean an increase in the food price index of nearly 0.7 per cent. and an increase in the retail price index of nearly 0.2 per cent. It would yield about £67 million in a full year.

45. Mr. Farr

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what percentage, at the latest available date, the cost of food in the United Kingdom as illustrated in the official index is lower than the average cost of food calculated on the same basis in each of the other countries of the European Economic Community.

Mrs. Fenner

Differences between the various official retail food price indices mean that no reliable calculation of this kind can be made. But as the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Ralph Howell) on 13th November 1973—[Vol. 864, c.126–8.]—indicates, prices of many important foodstuffs in the United Kingdom are amongst the lowest in Europe.