HC Deb 15 March 1976 vol 907 cc410-2W
Mr. Sainsbury

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection, whether she will publish in the Official Report the figures supporting her answer on 8th March, Official Report, column 17, that Great Britain's rate of inflation is not twice that but only somewhat above that of most United Kingdom's competitors.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

The following are the latest available figures for percentage increases in consumer price indices over six months between June and December 1975 for most of our competitors:

United Kingdom 6.5
Belgium 5.4
Canada 4.7
France 4.3
Italy 5.0
Japan 2.8
Netherlands 4.2
USA 3.5
W Germany 1.3

Percentage changes on a year earlier
19th January 1971 18th January 1972 16th January 1973 15th January 1974 14th January 1975 13th January 1976
Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.
Butter, per lb.
New Zealand +9.6 +62.8 −23.8 −6.2 +18.8 +34.4
Danish +7.5 +47.9 −21.1 −2.4 +20.0 +23.8
Home-produced* +15.8 +35.6
Bacon, per 1b.
Collar† +4.8 + 3.4 +28.0 +44.8 +13.2 +26.7
Gammon† +5.5 +10.7 +19.6 +36.3 +15.9 +20.2
Middle cut, smoked† +4.3 +10.1 +18.4 +41.3 +16.0 +17.0
Back, smoked +4.5 +12.5 +21.4 +35.7 +15.3 +17.2
Back, unsmoked +4.7 +11.4 +22.1 +36.2 +16.0 +17.6
Streaky, smoked +6.1 +5.3 +27.4 +52.6 +16.7 +25.6
Bread, 1¾ 1b., wrapped and sliced loaf +9.2 +4.2 +5.0 +26.9 +6.1 +17.9
Milk, fresh, per pint +8.7 +10.0 −91 +70.0
Sugar, granulated, per 1b. +4.1 +31.2 −13.9 +17.2 +184.3 −21.4
Food Index +9.0 +11.5 +10.1 +20.2 +18.3 +25.4
* Price quotations for home-produced butter were collected only from February 1973 onwards.
† Or Scottish equivalent.

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