asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether it is a fact that 90 per cent. of tea wholesalers are pressing for the freeing of the tea trade, and what difference in price this would mean to the consumer.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Tea Market.
Mr. Lynch
The Wholesale Tea Dealers' Association has been informed that I am anxious to get away as quickly as possible from the present arrangement under which a State-sponsored company is charged with the responsibility of importing our tea supplies; and I have invited the association to submit their views to me as to the alternative arrangements which might be made consistent with the policy of direct importation from country of origin. I have been informed that the matter is under consideration at present by the Wholesale Tea Dealers' Association but that it is unlikely that they will be in a position to communicate their views to me until early in the New Year.
I assume that the reference in the question to the freeing of the tea trade means returning to the policy of reliance on the London tea market as distinct from the policy of direct importation. I see no reason why an arrangement for the direct importation of tea from countries of origin should affect the price to the consumers compared with the price which would obtain if purchase through London were to be permitted.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary ask the Minister to consider simply taking off the control and allowing anybody who wants to buy tea to buy it? That is all that has to be done and no more than that.
Mr. Lynch
As the Deputy heard in the reply, the Minister is anxious to take off control and allow anybody who wants to buy tea to buy it provided arrangements can be made for the purchase of tea from the country of origin in order to avoid the situation arising again that we experienced during the late war, when we were virtually left without tea.
Whatever about that codology, and it is, of course, codology, cannot the Minister without delay provide that anybody who wants to buy tea from the country of origin can go and buy it and find out the relative merits of buying in the London market or elsewhere at an early date? Let anybody who wants to buy tea ad interim go and buy it.
Are we to take it that, subject to there not being a reversion to the system of dealing with the London wholesale tea market, the Minister is now prepared to free tea immediately for direct importation from the country of origin?
Mr. Lynch
There is no question of freeing the market immediately. The Minister has taken the proper course of consulting the Wholesale Tea Dealers' Association and has asked that body to put forward their proposal.
Why?
Has not the Wholesale Tea Dealers' Association made known their desire to start direct trading immediately with the country of origin?
Mr. Lynch
But there has been no approach to the Minister.
What has the Wholesale Dealers' Association to do with it? The citizens have a right to buy it.