§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection (1) what has been the increase in price of the principal foodstuffs covered by the retail price index between 1st December 1972 and the latest month for which figures are available; and how these increases compare with the increase in the cif landed price over the same period of the corresponding basic foodstuffs when imported from, respectively, the Six, Denmark, Ireland, and from the rest of the world;
(2) what has been the increase in the price of the principal imported foodstuffs between March 1971 and March 1975 when imported from the Six, Denmark, the Irish Republic, and from other countries, respectively.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThe retail food index rose by 54.3 per cent. between 12th December 1972 and 18th March 1975, and by 60.1 per cent. between 12th December 1972 and 15th April 1975, the latest date for which information is available. A selection of principal foodstuffs showed the following increases:
Percentage Increase 12th December 1972 to 18th March 1975 Beef 37.4 Lamb 44.6 Pork 45.4 Bread 52.4 Fresh milk 8.9 Butter 22.6 Cheese 29.5 Sugar, granulated 238.9 Comparable statistics of cif landed prices are not readily available in the form that my hon. Friend has requested 622W them. He will be aware that the Overseas Trade Statistic record countries of consignment rather than countries of origin, and that substantial imports recorded as having been shipped from other EEC countries have been transshipped there from sources elsewhere—for example, United States wheat through Rotterdam. I shall obtain the information my hon. Friend has asked for if possible, and shall write to him.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will publish in the Official Report the increase in price of each of the relevant foods, in terms of pence per pound or other retail measure, if (a) the monetary compensation allowance and (b) the accession compensatory allowance were to be abolished.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThe payment of monetary compensatory amounts partly protects us against the effect of the depreciation of sterling on the cost of our food imports both from within and outside the Community. But there are difficulties in translating these effects into retail prices because of the frequent fluctuation in monetary compensatory amounts reflecting movement in the £. Furthermore, agricultural support prices cannot be translated directly into retail prices in hypothetical circumstances because retail food prices are determined by many other factors, including the balance of supply and demand, and the costs of processing, manufacturing and distribution. There is no commitment to phase out the system of monetary compensatory amounts.