§ Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will publish a table, from information available to him, showing the rise in the cost of the main sub-groups of food items in the retail food index between December 1972 and December 1976 if subsidies are excluded.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe percentage increase in the main sub-groups of the Food Index between December 1972 and October 1976, excluding the effects of subsidies, is shown below. October 1976 is the latest month for which this detailed information is available.
Percentage increase between December 1972 and October 1976 Bread, flour, cereals, biscuits and cakes 108* Meat and bacon 101 Fish 113 Butter, margarine, lard and other cooking fats 133* Milk, cheese and eggs 111* Tea, coffee, cocoa, soft drinks, etc. 79 Sugar, preserves and confectionery 118 Vegetables, fresh, canned and frozen 207 Fruit, fresh, dried and canned 80 Other food 84 Food Index 113 * Only these three sub-groups include subsidised foods.
§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will list in the Official Report all the food products which were included in the recent price check scheme; what was the average price of each of these foods before the scheme started; what was the average price of each of these foods after the scheme ended; and what is the current average price of each of these foods.
§ Mr. MaclennanI would refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South-West (Mrs. Wise) on 19th October 1976. This listed the groups of products which had been included in the price check scheme, and summarised the results of the Price Commission's monitoring of their price move-748W ments between February, when the scheme began, and August, when it ended. I regret that there is no readily available information on the current average prices for these products. The Price Commission no longer monitors their prices, and the information collected for the Retail Price Index covers slightly different categories, and has been affected in recent months by industrial action by some Department of Employment staff, which has now ceased.