asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether, since bread is the staple diet of the majority of the people in the lower and middle income groups, he will take steps to increase by the amount required to compensate for the increase in bread prices (a) children's allowances, (b) old age, blind and widows' and orphans' pensions, and (c) unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Allowances: Compensation for Increased Bread Prices.
14.
It is not proposed to grant increases of the kind referred to in the question as it would not be feasible to vary benefit and assistance payments in sympathy with minor fluctuations in the prices of individual commodities.
It is estimated that the consumption of bread by the classes mentioned in the question would not exceed five pounds per head per week, and, on this basis, the amount required to compensate them for the increased bread prices would be less than ¾d. per head per week.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say whether he has given consideration to the device adopted by the previous Government, when there was an increase, of giving a double payment at Christmas to meet this increased cost of living?
That is a separate question.
I asked the Parliamentary Secretary that question before and he had plenty of notice of it.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that what he describes as a minor fluctuation is very often a major disaster in so far as the people referred to in the question are concerned. In view of the fact that these people are in a very bad way at the moment, will he not have this position sympathetically considered?
We are very concerned to prevent inflation and keep down prices.
Might I ask the Parliamentary Secretary, has the Minister's attention been directed to the fact that the actual increase with which the people are confronted at the present time is 3/6d. on the ten stone bag of flour and, effectively, a halfpenny on the 2lb. loaf which, I think, is double the amount which the Parliamentary Secretary has described as the increased cost probable in the cases of the persons mentioned by him?
He calls it a minor fluctuation.
The price of bread was reduced by a farthing per 2lb. loaf in November, 1958 and the increase now announced is a reversion to the price level obtaining 12 months ago.
They say a farthing but the actual increase is a halfpenny.