XN000022-1983-09-26 — Page 4

3 -

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1983

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM LONDON

****

THE FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN LONDON THIS MORNING :

+SIR PERCY CRADOCK WILL BE RETIRING FROM THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THEREAFTER HE WILL BE TAKING UP A SPECIAL APPOINTMENT IN THE FCO AS DEPUTY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. HE WILL ALSO, AS ANNOUNCED BY 10 DOWNING STREET TODAY, ACT AS AN ADVISER ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE PRIME MINISTER IN SUCCESSION TO SIR ANTHONY PARSONS.+

+THE PRIME MINISTER HAS APPOINTED SIR PERCY CRADOCK GCMG, TO BE AN ADVISER ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT 10 DOWNING STREET FOLLOWING HIS RETIREMENT AS HER MAJESTY'S AMBASSADOR TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AT THE END OF THE YEAR. HE WILL DIVIDE HIS TIME BETWEEN THIS POST AND THE SPECIAL APPOINTMENT IN THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AS DEPUTY UNDER-SECRETARY WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, WHICH THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE IS ANNOUNCING TODAY. HE WILL SUCCEED

SIR ANTHONY PARSONS GCMG MVO MC, WHO IS RETIRING AT THE END OF DECEMBER.+

AUGUST CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES RELEASED

****

THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) AND CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) FOR AUGUST 1983 WERE 143 AND 142 RESPECTIVELY, THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT REPORTED TODAY.

COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH, CPI(A) INCREASED BY 1 POINT OR 0.7 PER CENT AND CPI(B) REMAINED UNCHANGED. WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1982, CPI(A) ROSE BY 11 POINTS OR 8.3 PER CENT AND CPI(B), BY 11 POINTS OR 8.4 PER CENT. DURING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED IN AUGUST 1983, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED CPI(A) INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 0.5 PER CENT EACH MONTH AND THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED CPI(B), 0.6 PER CENT.

DURING AUGUST, PRICES OF LIVE POULTRY AND FRESH VEGETABLES ROSE. IN ADDITION, CHARGES FOR MEALS IN RESTAURANTS ALSO WENT UP. ON THE OTHER HAND, PRICES OF FRESH FRUITS AND CLOTHING ITEMS DECREASED.

THE CPI(A) AND CPI(B) ARE BASED ON THE EXPENDITURE PATTERNS OF 50 PER CENT AND 30 PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY, OF URBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN HONG KONG, WHICH WERE DERIVED FROM THE 1979/80 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY. THE CPI(A) REFERRED TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $1 000 AND $3 499 A MONTH AND THE CPI(B) TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $3 500 AND $6 499 A MONTH AT THAT TIME.

/THE INDEXES