To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what amount the weighted average price of (a) services, other than foreign holidays, and (b) goods other than food, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, fuel, petrol and oil covered by the retail prices index has risen since January 1987.

The information is not available in the form requested and can be produced only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy with respect to the exclusion from the calculation of the retail price index of such increases as are the result of Government intervention on interest rates.

The retail prices index includes the cost of mortgage interest payments as part of the housing costs of those who are buying their own home. Because of the sensitivity of this component of the RPI to changes in interest rates, it is better when assessing underlying inflationary pressures to look at changes in the index for all items other than mortgage interest payments.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the increase since January 1987 in the costs of (a) mortgage interest, (b) electricity, (c) entertainments and recreation and (d) books and newspapers relative to the change in the retail prices index.

The following table gives the information: