Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Food Prices

Thursday 7 December 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • October's consumer prices index price inflation was 10.1%, down from 12.1% in September.
  • Industry analysts expect food price inflation to continue to decrease.
  • The price of a basket of goods in the UK is substantially lower than in the European Union.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Patrick Grady SNP
Economy
Context

No specific event or context was provided, but the question relates to recent food price inflation trends.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of trends in the level of food prices?

Answer from Mark Spencer

October's consumer prices index price inflation was 10.1%, down from 12.1% in September and the lowest figure since June 2022. Industry analysts expect food price inflation to continue to decrease, and the Government are providing an average of £3,300 per household to help with the cost of living this year and next.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a detailed assessment of trends beyond current statistics

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Q2 Patrick Grady SNP
Economy Brexit
Context

The question highlights Brexit as a significant factor in food price inflation, noting that UK is the only G7 country where food price inflation remains above 10%. It also mentions SNP's proposals for price controls on food.

Question

What are the Government going to do to finally get a grip on increasing food prices if they are not going to follow SNP's proposals for price controls?

Answer from Mark Spencer

I think the hon. Gentleman is mistaken. If we compare prices in the European Union with prices here in the UK, we see that the price of a basket of goods here in the UK is substantially lower than it is for our friends in the European Union. If Brexit were the problem here, surely those prices would be higher in the UK than they are in the European Union. I think he is barking up the wrong tree.

Not addressed: Brexit as a factor in food price inflation and SNP's proposals for price controls were not addressed.

How: Changing Subject, Dismissing Questioner'S Point

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