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28.
Mr. Arthur Lewis
asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether, in view of the concern felt by consumers that when world prices rise the prices at home rise but when world prices drop the reductions are rarely ever passed on to the consumer, he will cause an investigation to be made into these matters and publish a report on his investigations.
Mr. Maclennan
This matter has been investigated by the Price Commission. If my hon. Friend has particular examples in mind I shall be glad to look into them.
| Percentage increase on a month earlier | ||||||
| Wholesale Price Index Manufacturing Industry other than Food, Drink and Tobacco | Import Unit Value Index | |||||
| Products (Home Sales) | Materials purchased* | Retail Price Index † All items less food | Fuels (SITC Section 3) | Basic Materials (SITC Sections 2 and 4) | ||
| 1976—January | … | 2·0 | 0·6 | 0·9 | 2·4 | 0·0 |
| February | … | 1·5 | 1·2 | 0·8 | 0·3 | 1·3 |
| March | … | 0·7 | 4·9 | 0·5 | 0·8 | 0·0 |
| April | … | 1·2 | 5·0 | 1·9 | 3·4 | 4·4 |
| May | … | 1·4 | 2·8 | 1·3 | 3·0 | 5·1 |
| June | … | 0·8 | 3·2 | 0·8 | 4·5 | 3·2 |
| July | … | 1·5 | 0·8 | 0·8 | 1·1 | 2·3 |
| August | … | 1·7 | 0·4 | 0·9 | 0·6 | 0·8 |
| September | … | 1·0 | 2·8 | 0·6 | 1·8 | 2·3 |
| October | … | 1·5 | 4·5 | 1·4 | 0·8 | 4·8 |
| November | … | 2·1 | 0·6 | 1·2 | 5·0 | 3·9 |
| December | … | 1·1 | -1·4 | 1·1 | -0·4 | 4·1 |
| 1977—January | … | 2·5 | 2·5 | 2·2 | -0·3 | 0·0 |
| * Includes some home-produced materials. | ||||||
| † A sub-division of the retail prices index for all items less food into separate indices for imported and home-produced goods is not available. | ||||||