Food Prices

HC Deb 01 April 1976 vol 908 cc567-8W

Mr. Woof

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much fresh food prices and vegetables have risen since 1st January 1973 to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Maclennan

I have been asked to reply:

Between 12th December 1972 and 17th February 1976 the prices of fresh foods—which include vegetables—rose on average by 99.5 per cent.

Mr. Woof

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table, from information available to him, showing the rise in the cost of food items since entry into the EEC.

Mr. Maclennan

I have been asked to reply.

Between 12th December 1972 and 17th February 1976 the main subgroups of the Retail Food Index increased as follows:

	Percentage Increase
Bread, flour, cereals, biscuits and cakes	79.5
Meat and bacon	74.2
Fish	85.5
Butter, margarine, lard and other cooking fats	74.7
Milk, cheese and eggs	62.3
Tea, coffee, soft drinks	53.2
Sugar, preserves and confectionery	103.9
Vegetables, fresh, canned and frozen	194.2
Fruit, fresh, dried and canned	71.2
Other foods	70.6
FOOD INDEX	86.3

Mr. Woof

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish a table, from information available to him, showing the rise in cost of food for each of the present member countries of the EEC over the past three years; and how this compares with the United Kingdom.

Mr. Maclennan

I have been asked to reply.

Price increases over the latest three-year period for which information is available for all EEC member countries are as follows:

PERCENTAGE INCREASES IN FOOD PRICE INDICES IN EEC U 1972 and NOVEMBER 1975:
			Percentage Increase
Belgium (a)(b)	…	…	33.3
Denmark (b)	…	…	37.7
France (a)	…	…	37.4
Irish Republic (c)	…	…	62.0
Italy	…	…	55.5
Luxembourg	…	…	32.5
Netherlands	…	…	24.8
United Kingdom	…	…	76.0
West Germany (a)(d)	…	…	16.3

These increases reflect both change in prices and in currency values.

NOTE(a) including alcoholic beverages.

(b) excluding restaurant meals,

(c) quarterly index.

(d) including tobacco.

SOURCES:

UN Monthly Bulletin of Statistics.

Department of Employment.