asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state what are the present stocks of tea in Ireland; whether that stock plus current imports after 1st June will be sufficient to permit of a tea ration of two ounces a week; and whether, if the newly fixed ration of one and a half ounces a week is not sufficient to clear wholesalers' and retailers' stocks, there is danger that importers will refuse to accept allocations from Great Britain rather than allow their stocks to increase.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tea Ration.
Periodical returns of stocks are obtained from the wholesale tea dealers but not from tea retailers. The last month for which complete returns are available from the wholesale tea dealers is April and the total stock shown as at the end of that month was 2,987,000 lbs. This stock, if used to supplement current imports after the 1st June, would permit of a tea ration at the rate of two ounces a week for some months, but the stock is not evenly distributed and difficulties, which would probably prove insurmountable, would be experienced in arranging for transfers between traders. I understand that even in normal times it is the practice for many wholesale merchants to carry from two to three months' stock of tea, and in present conditions I consider it advisable that reasonable stocks should be held to meet possible contingencies. Moreover, a ration at the rate of two ounces a week could not be maintained when stocks had become exhausted.
I have no reason to anticipate that importers generally will refuse to accept allocations from Great Britain for the reasons suggested by the Deputy in the last part of his question.
Am I correct in saying that the deliveries by Great Britain to this country, which now amount to 75 per cent. of our pre-war imports, approximate closely to the 80 per cent. which would provide a two-ounce ration; that the tendency is for the tea position to become easier; that, therefore, it would be a safe procedure to give the people the two-ounce ration now, thus ensuring that every merchant would bring in from England the total allocation of tea offered; and, if it appears in three months' time that we stand in danger of running dry, which is highly unlikely, would it not be possible to go back to the one-and-a-half ounces, or one ounce if necessary, to recoup our stocks, whereas the continuation of the present procedure means that we are depriving the people of one-half ounce of tea which would be of incalculable value and we are perpetuating the potential black market, which would be extinguished if everyone had two ounces of tea, because tea would no longer be a scarce commodity, and we would absorb the existing stocks which at present will deter a considerable number of individual merchants from taking allocations because these individual merchants have enough tea? It has to be borne in mind in connection with tea that it is not the Government that brings it in, but the individual merchants and, unless everyone takes an allocation——
The Deputy is making a speech.
I have not the Minister here and I am directing the attention of the House to the position. Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there is this peculiarity about tea, that whereas his Department controls all other imports, it is the individual tea merchant who brings in the tea?
Is the Deputy aware of any wholesaler refusing his allocation?
What do you know about it?
I know as much as the Deputy.
Have sense.
I do not go into the black market for it.