The UK's Office of National Statistics is to start counting sales of tablet computers - such as Apple's iPad -- in its inflation calculations.

The ONS maintains a list of typical items purchased by households and monitors them for price changes that then generates the UK's inflation rate statement. Periodically, the "shopping basket" is updated to reflect changes in consumer behaviour.

The ONS said that tablets have been added as they represent a significant and growing market. Fiction was previously covered by children's and adult books, but with the growing popularity of many titles aimed specifically at teenagers, they will now also monitor teenage fiction (such as the Twilight books).

Bundled communication packages comprising telephone, internet and television are also included for the first time. The three component parts were already in the basket but the bundle reflects the way in which consumers are increasingly buying these services.

Cans of stout (such as Guinness) have also been added (to widen the coverage of beers in the basket), along with pineapples, hot oat cereals and takeaway chicken & chips.

However, charges for developing and printing colour film are being removed as the popularity of digital cameras means fewer and fewer people are using analogue cameras.

Currently, around 180,000 separate price quotations are used every month in
compiling the indices, covering approaching 700 representative consumer goods and
services for which prices are collected in around 150 areas throughout the UK.