asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the percentage change in the retail price of each item appearing in "Food Facts No. 4", 27th June 1977, table 1, taking the first quarter of 1975 as base, and giving the percentage change in the first quarter of 1976 and 1977, respectively; and what each of these figures would have been had the 1975 subsidy rates remained unchanged.
Information from the National Food Survey indicates that average retail prices paid by housewives in (a) the first quarter of 1976 and (b) the first quarter of 1977, expressed as percentage changs on such prices in the first quarter of 1975, were as follows:
| Percentage change (positive unless otherwise indicated) | ||
| Commodity | (a) | (b) |
| Liquid milk | 55 | 90 |
| Other milk | 12 | 22 |
| Cheese (natural) | 20 | 47 |
| Butter | 25 | 100 |
| Margarine | -3 | 14 |
| Lard and compound cooking fat | -11 | 3 |
| Eggs | 9 | 34 |
| Preserves | 6 | 17 |
| Sugar | -19 | -17 |
| Beef and veal | 23 | 45 |
| Mutton and lamb | 13 | 45 |
| Pork | 13 | 28 |
| Bacon and ham (uncooked) | 24 | 28 |
| Bacon and ham (cooked) | 15 | 27 |
| Poultry and cooked chicken | 8 | 36 |
| Other cooked meat (not canned) | 14 | 31 |
| Other canned meat | 6 | 28 |
| Offals | 1 | 11 |
| Sausages (uncooked) | 17 | 32 |
| Meat pies and sausage rolls (ready to eat) | 17 | 37 |
| All others (not frozen) | 19 | 42 |
| Fish, fresh and processed | 19 | 44 |
| Canned fish | —2 | 15 |
| Fish and fish products, frozen | 18 | 50 |
| Fresh green vegetables | 25 | 96 |
| Fresh tomatoes | 6 | 18 |
| Other fresh vegetables | 14 | 66 |
| Frozen vegetables | 27 | 44 |
| Canned tomatoes | -4 | 8 |
| Canned peas | 12 | 26 |
| Canned beans | 4 | 14 |
| Potatoes | 256 | 295 |
| Citrus fruit | 22 | 37 |
| Bananas | 10 | 21 |
| Apples | 1 | 19 |
| All other fresh fruit | 27 | 27 |
| Canned fruit | 8 | 30 |
| Dried fruit, nuts and fruit and nut products | -6 | 35 |
| Flour | -4 | 19 |
| White bread | 10 | 34 |
| Brown, wholewheat and wholemeal bread | 16 | 38 |
| Other bread | 6 | 19 |
| Buns, scones and teacakes | 4 | 25 |
| Cakes and pastries | 15 | 30 |
| Chocolate biscuits | 6 | 26 |
| Other biscuits | 7 | 20 |
| Breakfast cereals | 13 | 27 |
| Oatmeal and oat products | 4 | 20 |
| Canned milk puddings | 15 | 30 |
| Tea | 11 | 76 |
| Instant coffee | 20 | 109 |
| Canned soups | 12 | 27 |
| Pickles and sauces | 23 | 39 |
Had the consumer subsidy rates payable over the first quarter of 1975 remained unchanged subsequently, then it is estimated that the percentage changes in retail prices for the subsidised foods might instead have been as follows:
Percentage change (positive unless otherwise indicated)
| ||
Commodity
| (a) | (b) |
| Liquid milk | 46 | 63 |
| Cheese (natural) | 18 | 24 |
| Butter | 29 | 62 |
| White bread | 6 | 24 |
| Brown, wholewheat and wholemeal bread | 13 | 29 |
| Flour | —4 | 19 |
| Tea | 11 | 57 |