§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide statistics showing the movement in the prices of imported wheat, copper, zinc, tin and wool at October 1964, June 1970 and at the latest convenient date, in index form, taking October 1964 as 100.
§ Sir G. HoweFollowing is the information:
October June December 1964 1970 1973 Wheat 100.0 109.9 331.2* Copper 100.0 125.2 197.9 Zinc 100.0 118.2 277.1 Tin 100.0 94.6 179.0 Wool 100.0 79.1 259.5* * Provisional
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage increase in commodity import prices, over and above that prevailing at a year previously for each month since January 1960.
§ Sir G. HoweThe percentage changes, based on United Kingdom import unit value index numbers, are as follows:
391W392W
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 Food, beverages and tobacco (SITC Section 0.1)] January … … … −1.2 −3.3 −2.3 5.7 11.3 −2.3 −3.5 2.6 4.4 3.1 4.0 5.8 12.4 11.2 February … … … 0.5 −4.5 0.4 6.1 9.6 −3.1 −1.2 1.6 4.7 2.1 4.7 6.0 7.5 21.0 March … … … −0.4 −1.5 0.4 6.5 7.9 −2.1 0.1 −0.1 4.7 2.0 7.9 4.2 6.8 22.4 April … … … −0.0 0.1 0.0 4.9 7.1 −1.4 2.3 −1.0 4.6 2.6 6.5 6.8 4.4 25.8 May … … … −0.8 0.8 −1.8 7.8 6.0 −1.4 2.7 −2.4 4.7 3.2 7.9 6.2 4.4 31.1 June … … … −1.3 −0.3 0.9 9.8 0.6 −0.9 2.9 −3.1 6.0 3.8 9.9 4.7 5.6 30.9 July … … … −2.3 −3.5 4.3 7.8 1.4 −1.3 1.5 −1.9 8.5 3.5 7.4 8.3 4.6 34.1 August … … … −2.2 −51 4.6 8.3 3.1 −2.2 1.7 −2.3 8.5 3.7 7.5 8.5 5.1 39.9 September … … … −0.8 −6.3 5.9 8.3 −0.9 0.8 2.1 −2.4 7.8 4.4 6.6 5.8 7.5 44.3 October … … … −1.0 −6.8 7.1 9.1 −2.4 −0.6 0.5 1.4 4.3 6.9 5.5 6.4 10.1 42.9 November … … … −2.4 −6.3 5.3 12.4 −4.6 −0.2 0.5 2.2 5.2 5.0 5.7 3.1 16.2 41.8 December. … … … −2.3 −5.4 5.2 10.3 −2.8 −0.4 2.1 3.0 4.3 3.5 5.8 5.8 15.4 — Basic materials (SITC Section 2.4) January … … … 6.8 −2.0 −1.7 −5.0 5.8 2.7 1.5 −2.2 3.1 7.6 8.3 −0.1 3.5 21.2 February. … … … 8.0 −4.5 0.3 −3.7 5.6 1.6 2.4 −4.5 5.8 6.3 8.7 3.0 −2.0 27.4 March … … … 7.6 −0.7 4.0 −2.8 5.7 0.1 3.3 −4.0 6.0 7.0 8.5 2.5 −1.2 31.0 April … … … 8.5 −1.8 −3.2 −1.5 4.7 0.5 2.2 −4.4 8.2 6.3 8.0 3.0 −0.3 34.3 May … … … 7.4 −2.0 −4.3 −0.4 5.0 0.6 2.9 −5.0 9.1 6.7 7.3 2.0 1.0 38.3 June … … … 6.3 −0.5 −5.3 0.3 5.0 0.1 3.1 −7.0 12.7 5.3 6.9 2.6 1.5 38.1 July … … … 4.5 0.0 −6.5 0.9 6.9 −0.5 0.7 −5.6 12.7 5.3 5.9 1.9 4.7 38.1 August … … … 1.1 0.7 −5.9 1.8 4.7 1.1 1.1 −5.1 12.4 5.3 6.5 1.8 5.7 39.0 September … … … 1.1 0.2 −6.0 1.8 5.8 2.6 −1.9 −4.3 13.9 5.9 5.1 2.1 7.1 44.0 October … … … 0.0 0.6 −6.5 2.8 6.9 −0.7 −0.2 −4.9 13.8 5.8 5.8 1.3 7.8 49.6 November … … … −1.2 −1.5 −4.8 4.2 5.3 −0.8 −0.7 −2.3 11.8 7.2 3.8 1.7 12.7 45.3 December … … … −3.3 0.8 −4.6 4.8 3.0 0.6 −1.7 −0.5 10.9 6.5 3.1 3.2 17.0 — Fuels (SITC Section 3) January … … … −9.1 −5.4 −1.3 −1.4 −3.1 −1.9 −5.0 −7.2 30.0 −2.5 −8.5 13.1 9.8 8.7 February … … … −9.8 −4.2 −1.5 −1.9 −1.2 −4.3 −4.4 −7.0 30.9 −3.6 −8.8 17.6 5.0 15.6 March … … … −7.1 −3.2 −3.0 −0.9 −0.7 −4.8 −5.2 −8.0 34.4 −5.2 −7.7 20.8 3.7 15.6 April … … … −6.7 −3.8 −2.0 −1.3 −1.1 −5.1 −4.4 −7.3 32.4 −4.7 −7.0 24.4 0.2 14.8 May … … … −4.5 −4.4 −1.7 0.4 −3.5 −4.0 −5.6 −6.6 32.7 −6.2 −4.9 24.8 −2.3 21.2 June … … … −5.4 −2.5 −2.3 1.3 −4.4 −3.6 −6.7 −5.4 33.7 −6.5 −4.7 28.2 −5.9 24.2 July … … … −6.8 −2.8 −1.2 −0.2 −3.9 −4.2 −7.9 9.5 17.8 −7.2 −3.8 30.5 −6.0 24.3 August … … … −3.5 −5.5 1.2 −1.6 −4.1 −3.6 −7.2 23.8 2.8 −6.0 −2.0 25.9 −3.3 34.7 September … … … −3.8 −1.6 −2.0 −0.9 −2.7 −4.5 −7.0 25.8 1.5 −6.8 0.2 24.6 −2.0 37.9 October … … … −6.5 −1.3 −1.8 −1.7 −2.6 −5.2 −5.6 21.9 3.5 −6.9 2.3 21.2 0.3 46.9 November … … … −6.9 −1.5 −3.1 −0.6 −2.0 −5.3 −6.5 22.5 3.6 −7.4 4.6 19.9 2.3 65.1 December. … … … −4.5 −1.9 −1.0 −3.8 −1.6 −5.6 −6.3 29.9 −2.3 −7.8 7.2 16.5 5.2 —