asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the commodities and services in respect of which he exercises statutory control over prices and (b) the number of Retail Price Orders in force and the commodities to which they relate.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price Control.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate in the Official Report a list of the commodities and services in respect of which Price Control Orders made by me are at present in operation. The list includes particulars of the Retail Price Orders at present in force.
COMMODITIES AND SERVICES IN RESPECT OF WHICH STATUTORY PRICE CONTROL IS AT PRESENT EXERCISED BY THE MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.
|
Commodity or Service |
Particulars of Order |
Nature of Control |
|
Bread |
Bread (Prices) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 183 of 1952).Bread (Prices) Order, 1952 (Amendment) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 268 of 1952). |
Fix maximum wholesale and retail prices for batch bread and fancy bread. |
|
Creamery Butter |
Butter (Maximum Prices) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 88 of 1953). |
Fixes maximum retail price of butter (creamery). |
|
Cigarettes and Tobacco. |
Cigarettes (Maximum Prices) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 83 of 1952).Tobacco (Maximum Prices) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 85 of 1952).Tobacco (Maximum Prices) Order, 1952 (Amendment) (No. 1) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 301 of 1952). |
Fix maximum retail prices for the popular brands of cigarettes and the various brands of tobaccos. |
|
Cloth, Clothing and Knitting Wool. |
E.P. (Cloth & Clothing) Maximum Prices Order, 1943 (S.R. & O. No. 170 of 1943).E.P. (Cloth & Clothing) (Maximum Prices) (First Amendment) Order, 1943 (S.R. & O. No. 333 of 1943). |
Fix the margins of profit which may be taken by wholesalers and retailers on Piece-Goods, articles of wearing apparel, and on Knitting Wool. |
|
E.P. (Cloth & Clothing) (Maximum Prices) (Second Amendment) Order, 1944 (S.R. & O. No. 265 of 1944). |
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|
E.P. (Cloth & Clothing) (Maximum Prices) Order, 1945 (S.R. & O. No. 247 of 1945). |
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Cloth, Clothing & Knitting Wool (Maximum Prices) Order, 1946 (S.R. & O. No. 381 of 1946). |
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|
Cloth, Clothing & Knitting Wool (Maximum Prices) Order, 1947 (S.R. & O. No. 323 of 1947). |
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Cloth, Clothing & Knitting Wool (Maximum Prices) Order, 1947 (Amendment Order) 1949 (S.I. No. 254 of 1949). |
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Cloth, Clothing & Knitting Wool (Maximum Prices) Order, 1947 (Amendment Order) 1952 (S.I. No. 213 of 1952). |
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|
Flour and Wheatenmeal. |
Flour & Wheatenmeal Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 180 of 1952).Flour & Wheatenmeal Order, 1952 (Amendment) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 270 of 1952). |
Fix the maximum prices charged by millers for flour and wheatenmeal. |
|
Flour & Wheatenmeal (Maximum Retail Prices) (No. 2) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 269 of 1952). |
Fixes the maximum retail prices of flour and wheatenmeal. |
|
|
Gas |
Tipperary Gas (Charges) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 225 of 1952).Cobh Gas (Charges) Order, 1947 (S.R. & O. No. 275 of 1947). |
Fix the maximum prices per therm at which gas may be sold in the areas mentioned. |
|
Thurles Gas (Charges) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 154 of 1952). |
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Wicklow Gas (Charges) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 174 of 1952). |
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Kilkenny Gas (Charges) Order, 1947 (S.R. & O. No. 276 of 1947). |
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E.P. (Clonmel Gas Charges) (No. 2) Order 1942 (S.R. & O. No. 323 of 1942). |
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Sligo Gas Charges Order, 1951 (S.I. No. 161 of 1951). |
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|
E.P. (Limerick Gas Charges) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order, 1942 (S.R. & O. No. 376 of 1942). |
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Drogheda Gas Charges Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 346 of 1952). |
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E.P. (Cork Gas Charges) (Amendment) (No. 1) Order, 1942 (S.R. & O. No. 211 of 1942). |
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|
E.P. (Dundalk) (Gas Charges) Order, 1943 (S.R. & O. No. 230 of 1943). |
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|
Intoxicating Liquor |
Intoxicating Liquor (Maximum Prices) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 82 of 1952). |
Fixes maximum retail prices of Beer, Stout, Porter and Whiskey. |
|
Kerosene |
Kerosene (Maximum Prices) (No. 3) Order 1951 (S.I. No. 264 of 1951). |
Fixes retailers' margin. |
|
Matches |
Matches (Maximum Prices) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 6 of 1952). |
Fixes maximum retail price for Maguire and Patersons “Friendly” and “Special Safety” matches. |
|
Milk |
Milk (Retail Price) (Dublin Sale District) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 140 of 1953). |
Fixes maximum retail price of bottled milk in Dublin Sale District. |
|
Milk (Retail Price) (Cork Sale District) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 141 of 1953). |
Fixes maximum retail price of milk sold loose or bottled in Cork Sale District. |
|
|
Motor Spirit |
Motor Spirit (Maximum Prices) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 40 of 1953). |
Fixes retailers' margin on standard grade petrol. |
|
Perambulators |
E.P. Perambulators (Maximum Prices) Order, 1944 (S.R. & O. No. 15 of 1944).E.P. Perambulators (Maximum Prices) Order, 1944 (Amendment) (No. 1) Order, 1944 (S.R. & O. No. 174 of 1944). |
Fix retailers' margins for home manufactured new or reconditioned perambulators, go cars, pramettes and folding perambulators. |
|
E.P. Perambulators (Maximum Prices) Order 1944 (Amendment) (No. 2) Order, 1952 (S.I. No. 111 of 1952). |
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|
Sewing Thread |
Sewing Thread (Maximum Prices) Order 1951 (S.I. No. 194 of 1951).Sewing Thread (Maximum Prices) Order 1951 (Amendment) Order, 1951 (S.I. No. 273 of 1951). |
Fix maximum wholesale and retail prices of domestic sewing thread (cotton or artificial silk). |
|
Sugar |
Sugar (Maximum Prices) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 160 of 1953). |
Fixes maximum wholesale and retail prices of sugar. |
|
Waste Paper |
Waste Paper (Maximum Prices) Order, 1951 (S.I. No. 144 of 1951). |
Fixes maximum prices for waste paper sold to waste paper merchants and manufacturers. |
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of investigations made by the Prices Advisory Body in each of the years 1951, 1952 and 1953 to date and the number of public inquiries held.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of full meetings of the Prices Advisory Body held since the 1st January, 1953, and the number of applications made to the body for public investigation into prices.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.
The Prices Advisory Body is a permanentbody which is constantly investigating the prices of commodities, and I do not require to be informed how many investigations are carried out before recommendations are made to me. I am informed that the number of full meetings held since 1st January, 1953, is 26.
The number of public inquiries held was 15 in 1951 and five in 1952. No public inquiries were held in 1953 and only one application for a public investigation has been made. That application relates to cinema admission charges and is being examined.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of prices inspectors serving in his Department and the number who are unestablished.
Fifteen officers, whose duties include the making of inspections in connection with certain other statutory functions of my Department, carry out price investigations as and when required. Of these, 11 are unestablished officers.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of prosecutions for breaches of prices Orders during the years 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953, to date.
The number of prosecutions for breaches of prices Orders during the years 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953 to date was as follows:—
|
1950 |
19 |
|
1951 |
61 |
|
1952 |
62 |
|
1953 |
7 |