asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will define the words "batch bread" used by him in the recent Order fixing the price of bread.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Definition and Price of “Batch” Bread.”
The Bread (Price) (No. 1) Order, 1936, dated the 2nd November, 1936, defines "batch bread" as bread which is not baked in containers and is sold or offered for sale in loaves of which the outside is not all crust.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state why he has fixed the price of batch bread at 9½d. per 4 lb. loaf instead of 9¾d., seeing that he has fixed 47/- as the standard price of flour, which is equivalent to 6¼d. as the cost of the flour content of the 4 lb. loaf, and seeing that he has adopted 3½d. (the formula of the Food Prices Commission) to cover the costs of other ingredients, labour, fuel and overhead charges and profit, making a total of 9¾d.; and will he alter the recent Order so as to make the price of batch bread 9¾d. undelivered.
In fixing the maximum retail price of batch bread at 10½d. per 4 lb. loaf delivered and at 10½d. less 1d. in the case of the 4 lb. loaf purchased on a baker's premises, I adopted the general recommendation of the Prices Commission as regards variation in the price of bread following on variations in the price of flour. On the basis of this recommendation the retail price of batch bread per 4 lb. loaf sold on the baker's premises should not exceed 9½d. while the standard price of flour is less than 49/-. It cannot be stated definitely that 47/1 as the standard price of flour is equivalent to 6¼d. as the cost of the flour content as the yield per sack of 280 lbs. in terms of 4 lb. loaves varies considerably.
Arising out of the Minister's reply to questions Nos. 5 and 6, which hang together to some degree, is the Minister in a position to say now whether his definition of batch bread includes what is known in the trade as turnover loaf? If that information is not available now would the Minister be good enough to look into the question and let us have the information on some other occasion?