HC Deb 10 December 1976 vol 922 c409W
Mr. Nott

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an estimate, in £ millions at constant prices and in percentage terms, showing (a) by how much the relative price effect changed between 1973–74 and 1975–76, (b) how much of that increase is attributable to changes in labour costs in the public sector, (c) how much to changes in import prices, (d) how much to changes in domestically produced imputs purchased by the public sector, (e) how much it is due to rising construction costs in particular and (f) by how much the relative price effect would have risen over that period had it moved in line with past trends.

Mr. Joel Barnett

I would ask the hon. Member to wait until the publication of the forthcoming Public Expenditure White Paper, which will contain revised figures for the relative price effect and which should give him most of the information he is asking for. The attribution between import prices and changes in domestic inputs in purchases by the public sector is not available except in broad terms.

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