HC Deb 26 January 1977 vol 924 cc645-6W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many minutes of work are required in each of the EEC

MINUTES OF WORK REQUIRED TO EARN (BEFORE TAX) THE PRICES OF VARIOUS ITEMS OF FOOD AT OCTOBER 1975
United Kingdom* France† Federal Republic of Germany Belgium†
Sirloin steak—1 kilo … … … 95 146 160 133
Cod—1 kilo … … … 56 83 46 62
Bread—1 kilo … … … 9 18 15 8
Apples—1 kilo … … … 13 11 10 8
Nranges—1 kilo … … … 13 17 12 12
Butter—1 kilo … … … 33 81 49 53
Milk—1 litre … … … 6 8 6 5
Potatoes—1 kilo … … … 7 4 4 3
Eggs—1 dozen … … … 17 24 15 19
Italy†‡ Denmark† Netherlands Ireland§
Sirloin steak—1 kilo … … … 173 81 125 79
Cod—1 kilo … … … n/a 18 50 47
Bread—1 kilo … … … 18 13 9 9
Apples—1 kilo … … … 15 8 8 14
Oranges—1 kilo … … … 14 9 11 15
Butter—1 kilo … … … 106 39 49 40
Milk—1 litre … … … 10 4 6 5
Potatoes—1 kilo … … … 7 5 4 5
Eggs—1 dozen … … … 31 13 12 19
* The average prices are derived from prices in 200 towns.
† Capital city prices.
‡ April 1975 earnings.
§ November 1975 prices and December 1975 earnings.

Sources.

(a) Prices: ILO Bulletin of Labour Statistics 2nd Quarter 1976.

(b) Earnings: Ireland—Irish Statistical Bulletin, June 1976. Other countries—Hourly Earnings and Hours of Work, Eurostat 2/1976.

member States for a man earning the average male manual wage to be able to purchase each of the following items of food: one kilo of rump steak, one kilo of fresh cod, one kilo of bread, one kilo of apples, one kilo of oranges, one kilo of butter, one litre of fresh milk, one kilo of potatoes and one dozen eggs.

Mr. Denzil Davies

The latest available information, which is for October 1975, is given in the following table. No figures are given for Luxembourg because information on earnings of male manual workers in that country is not available from international sources.

Comparisons of this type involve considerable difficulties of interpretation. In particular these arise from the variation in the systems of remuneration and taxation in the different countries, from the importance of different goods in the national patterns of consumption, and from differences in the quality and type of goods. Detailed definitions of the articles are not available and in some countries average prices are only available for the capital cities. Sirloin steak has been substituted for rump steak, prices of which are not available for October 1975.