asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state, in respect of each of the last five years, the quantities of tea imported; and if he will indicate the present method of exercising control over the importation, distribution and retail price of tea.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tea Imports.
Mr. Corish
The following quantities of tea have been imported during each of the last five years:—
|
Year. |
Imports of Tea. |
||
|
lbs. |
|||
|
1942 |
11,611,000 |
||
|
1943 |
6,145,000 |
||
|
1944 |
6,125,000 |
||
|
1945 |
7,830,000 |
||
|
1946 |
15,824,000 |
This country's supplies of tea for the year ending 31st March, 1947, were fixed by the International Emergency Food Council at a figure of 18,000,000 lbs., which is being made available from the British Ministry of Food re-export quota for that period. This tea is allocated by the British Ministry of Food to wholesale tea merchants in this country on the basis of their purchases of tea in the period of 12 months ended 30th June, 1939, and the wholesale merchants in turn make deliveries to their tea retailer customers on the same basis. Maximum wholesale and retail prices of tea are fixed by Order on the basis of the average import cost of tea and of providing reasonable profit margins for the distributive trade.
Why on earth do you not take tea off the ration?