§ Mr. Andrew F. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the retail prices index advisory committee will review (i) the implications of the abolition of domestic rates, (ii) the inclusion of holiday expenditure in the index, (iii) progress on recommendations made in the committee's last report and (iv) the exclusion of mortgage interest payments from the index.
§ Mr. LeeThe committee is currently considering the first of the matters mentioned by the hon. Gentleman and will shortly be turning its attention to the second and third, but we have no plans to exclude mortgage interest payments from the index and this is not on the committee's agenda.
§ Mr. Andrew F. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the occasions on which the retail prices index advisory committee has been convened since 1986.
§ Mr. LeeThe committee was convened in October 1988 for the first time since 1986. It is now meeting and will be reporting in the course of next year.