What do we learn from the conversation about British children’s pocket money?

W: Now you’ve seen this table of figures about the pocket money children in Britain get?
M: Yes. I thought it was quite interesting, but I don’t quite understand the column entitled change. Can you explain what it means?
W: Well, I think it means the change from the year before. I am not a mathematician, but I assume the rise from 70p to 90p is a rise of 25 percent.
M: Oh, yes, I see. And the inflation rate is there for comparison.
W: Yes. Why do you think the rise in pocket money is often higher than inflation?
M: I am sorry I’ve no idea. Perhaps parents in Britain are too generous.
W: Perhaps they are. But it looks as if children were not better off in 2001 than they were in 2002. That’s strange, isn’t it? And they seem to have been better off in 2003 than they are now. I wonder why that is.
M: Yes, I don’t understand that at all.
W: Anyway, if you had children, how much pocket money would you give them?
M: I don’t know. I think I’ll probably give them 2 pounds a week.
W: Would you? And what would you expect them to do with it?
M: Well, out of that, they have to buy some small personal things, but I wouldn’t expect them to save to buy their own socks, for example.
W: Yes, by the way, do most children in your country get pocket money?
M: Yeah, they do.