asked the Minister for Supplies if he will give the statistical information as to imports of tea in the year 1940 with reference to his statement in the Dáil on the 4th April that (a) up to January, 1941, we were getting 100 per cent. our normal purchases of tea, and that (b) the quantity of tea imported and sold last year was substantially less than the quantity which we were entitled to get from the British Tea Control under our arrangement with them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Imports of Tea.
It has been decided that it is not at present in the public interest to publish figures of this country's import trade.
The statement quoted by the Deputy at (a) in his question relates to the arrangement with the British Ministry of Food, under which allocations of tea by that Ministry to this country were to have been made on the basis of 100 per cent. of our normal supplies during the period from April, 1940, until notification of the intention to reduce the rate of allocation was given by letter received on the 18th January, 1941.
The year referred to in the statement quoted by the Deputy at (b) in his question was that which ended on the 28th February last, and in that year the quantity of tea imported was substantially below the quantity which we should have received from the British Ministry of Food under the arrangement for allocation on the basis of 100 per cent. of normal supplies. The Deputy will observe that I said that the amount of tea distributed in the 11 months ending 28th February, 1941, was 21,366,000 lbs.; this was actually more than the amount imported in the period of 12 months ending on the same date.