§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if domestic holidays are included under other recreations in the retail prices index; and if he will publish separate figures for the increase in the price of domestic holidays. [1444]
§ Mrs. LiddellThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 3 June 1997:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on the inclusion of domestic holidays in the Retail Prices Index.A price index for domestic holidays has been included in the Retail Prices Index since February 1994 under the published heading of United Kingdom holidays. This was on the recommendation of the 1992 Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee. These figures are given in Table 2 of the monthly Business Monitor MM23—Retail Prices Index a copy of which is in the House of Commons library.