§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
On what statistical basis they believe that if the price of a game licence had kept pace with inflation it would cost about £2,000 rather than £6. [HL2157]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)The Game Licences Act 1860 set the price of an annual licence to kill game at £3. The current price is £6. The average weekly earnings of regular full-time men farm workers increased from around £0.70 in 1860 to £367 in 2002. If the price of a licence to kill game had increased in line with farm workers' earnings since 1860 it would now be £1,600.
My earlier statement that the equivalent today would be about £2,000 had not properly allowed for the increase in the cost of the licence to £6 in 1968. I apologise to the noble Lord for the slight misunderstanding.