asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if the statement, reported in the daily Press on the 2nd July, 1951, as having been made-by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, that instructions were given by the previous Government to inspectors in the Department of Industry and Commerce not to prosecute traders for increasing the prices of certain goods, is correct and, if so, whether he has now withdrawn such instructions and instructed the inspectors that price control Orders are to be enforced and prosecutions initiated where breaches of such Orders are clearly established.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Enforcement of Price Control Orders.
An instruction was given by my predecessor in April, 1951, that prosecutions were not to be undertaken in cases of contraventions of the Fresh Meat (Maximum Prices) Order, 1948, in respect of which a recommendation for increased prices had been received from the Prices Advisory Body and not implemented. As stated by me on the 28th June, 1951, in the course of the debate on the Finance Bill, when replying to a query by Deputy Morrissey concerning meat prices, I decided to leave things as they were for the present, but I hope to be able to clarify the position and to reach a definite decision soon.