HC Deb 09 July 1985 vol 82 cc422-3W
Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide the most recent available estimates from the family expenditure survey on average expenditure of (i) all households and (ii) households with incomes below £150 per week on fuel, light and power, food, clothing and footwear, and durable household goods for the following types: (a) single person, (b) married couple, (c) married couple with one child, (d) married couple with two children, (e) married couple with three children and (f) three adult household; and if he will also update these estimates to May 1985 and November 1985 using the retail prices index and Government assumptions or projections for price movements.

Mr. Alan Clark

[pursuant to his reply, 8 July 1985]: The most recent information from the family expenditure survey relates to 1983 and is set out in the following table.

Category of expenditure One adult One man, one woman One man, one woman, one child One man, one women, two children One man, one woman, three children Three adults
Clothing and footwear 3.91 7.88 11.25 13.51 13.70 14.22
Durable household goods 3.83 11.00 12.02 14.18 15.00 12.22
(b) Households with gross normal weekly income of under £150
Fuel, light and power 6.18 8.28 8.94 10.54 10.51 9.67
Food 12.47 22.76 26.31 31.15 36.46 30.64
Clothing and footwear 3.09 4.67 7.45 7.17 10.25 8.16
Durable household goods 2.81 5.90 7.60 6.34 6.61 7.38

Source: Family Expenditure Survey, 1983

The percentage increases in the general index of retail prices between the calendar year 1983 and May 1985 were as follows:

percentage increase
Fuel and light 7.1
Food 9.9
Clothing and Footwear 3.3
Durable Household Goods 5.2

Projections to November 1985 are not available.