asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism the cost of each of the following items in (i) January 1977 and (ii) January 1981: a lb. of butter, a pint of milk, a loaf of bread, a kilo of flour and a lb. of cheese; the amount of subsidy paid on one loaf of bread and one kilo of flour at each date; and the total cost of subsidies on each item to the Exchequer for the years 1977 to 1980.
Written Answers. - Food Prices.
264.
The following table shows the retail prices of the commodities in question in January 1977 and January 1981:
|
Item |
Price in January |
Price in January |
|
1977 |
1981 |
|
|
Butter (1lb. parchment wrapped) |
53½p |
67½p |
|
Flour (1 kilo plain white) |
21p |
37½p |
|
Cheese* (1 lb. natural cheddar) |
72p |
113p |
|
Bread (wrapped 800 gm. pan loaf) |
20½p |
44p |
|
Milk (1 pt.) |
8p (all country) |
15½p (Dublin)15p (rest of country) |
*The prices quoted above are the maximum retail prices as controlled by Maximum Price Order with the exception of cheese which is not so controlled.
The information regarding the bread and flour subsidies is set out as follows:
|
Item |
Level of subsidy at |
Total cost of subsidy |
Level of subsidy at |
Total cost of subsidy |
|
January 1977 |
in 1977 |
January 1978 |
in 1980 |
|
|
Bread |
5½p per 800 gm. loaf |
£13,948,216 |
5½p per 800 gm. loaf |
£14,289,069 |
|
Flour |
4½p per kilo |
£2,011,784 |
2p per kilo |
£845,859 |