asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, in the last three months, have been the changes from six months earlier in the retail price index, excluding seasonally variable food prices; and what trend this indicates.

The percentage increases in the retail price index for "all items except seasonal food" in each of the latest three months for which data is available, compared with six months earlier, were for October, 1971, 3·4 per cent.; for November, 1971, 3·1 per cent.; and for December, 1971, 2·9 per cent. These figures show a welcome downward trend.