andMr. Molony asked the Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism the pre-tax price of: (a) petrol and (b) all other petroleum products in (i) this country and (ii) the United Kingdom; and (iii) the average price in all EEC countries on the following dates: mid-January and mid-June in each year from 1976 to 1983 (inclusive) and on 17 March 1983.
Written Answers . - UK and EEC Pre-Tax Price of Petroleum Products .
834.
: In the period mentioned by the Deputies the maximum tax inclusive prices for the major petroleum products in Ireland have been fixed by maximum prices orders under the Prices Acts. However, in view of the fact that each of these orders sets separate individual prices for up to 75 different products or brands at wholesale level and for up to 26 at retail level the preparation of a statement giving the tax-exclusive element in each price on 16 different dates over the past eight years is not possible in the short time available. However, copies of the relevant orders are available in the Dáil Library and for the convenience of the Deputies I set out hereunder details of the orders governing the maximum prices for petroleum products at the dates referred to by them.
|
Date |
Title of Order |
S.I.No. |
|
Mid-January, 1976 |
Maximum Prices (Petrol) (No. 2) Order, 1975 |
300 of 1975 |
|
Mid-June, 1976 |
Maximum Prices (Petrol) (No. 2) Order, 1976 |
51 of 1976 |
|
Mid-January, 1977 |
Maximum Prices (Petrol) Order, 1977 |
3 of 1977 |
|
Mid-June, 1977 |
Maximum Prices (Petrol) (No. 2) Order, 1977 |
137 of 1977 |
|
Mid-January, 1978 |
Maximum Prices (Petrol) (No. 3) Order, 1977 |
230 of 1977 |
|
Mid-June, 1978 |
Maximum Prices (Petrol) (No. 4) Order, 1978 |
39 of 1978 |
|
Mid-January, 1979 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) Order, 1978 |
301 of 1978 |
|
Mid-June, 1979 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) (No. 3) Order, 1979 |
182 of 1979 |
|
Mid-January, 1980 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) (No. 4) Order, 1979 |
273 of 1979 |
|
Mid-June, 1980 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) (No. 3) Order, 1980 |
170 of 1980 |
|
Mid-January, 1981 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) Order, 1981 |
6 of 1981 |
|
Mid-June, 1981 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) (No. 3) Order, 1981 |
87 of 1981 |
|
Mid-January, 1982 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) (No. 9) Order, 1981 |
410 of 1981 |
|
Mid-June, 1982 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) (No. 3) Order, 1982 |
124 of 1982 |
|
Mid-January, 1983 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) Order, 1983 |
5 of 1983 |
|
17th March, 1983 |
Maximum Prices (Petroleum Products) (No. 3) Order, 1983 |
53 of 1983 |
While taxation elements are a matter for the Minister for Finance, I understand that the excise duties and taxes applicable on the dates in question were as follows:
(i) Petrol and Autodiesel
|
Date |
Excise (pence per gallon) |
V.A.T. |
|
|
Petrol |
Autodiesel |
||
|
Mid-January, 1976 |
34.1 |
17.7 |
6.75% |
|
Mid-June, 1976 to Mid-January, 1980 |
43.4 |
17.7 |
10% |
|
Mid-June, 1980 and Mid-January, 1981 |
61.6 |
35.9 |
10% |
|
Mid-June, 1981 |
75.1 |
49.5 |
10% |
|
Mid-January, 1982 |
78.7 |
53.1 |
15% |
|
Mid-June, 1982 |
85.7 |
60 |
18% |
|
Mid-January, 1983 |
98.4 |
70.1 |
18% |
|
17th March, 1983 |
98.4 |
70.1 |
23% |
(ii) Marked Gas Oil, Kerosene, fuel oils * etc. (during the period in question these products were zero rated for purposes of VAT).
|
Date |
Excise (per gallon) |
|
Up to 31 January, 1976 |
Nil |
|
From 31 January, 1976 to 27 February, 1980 |
2p |
|
From 28 February, 1980 to 9 February, 1983 |
7p* |
|
From 10 February, 1983 |
8p† |
Notes:
* From 1 December, 1981 the excise duty on hydrocarbon oils in the Residual Fuel Oil category was reduced by 2.5p per gallon (to 4.5p per gallon) where the oil was for use for a purpose other than the generation of electricity for sale.
† Residual Fuel Oil used for the purpose of generating electricity for sale remained chargeable with excise duty at the rate of 7p per gallon and other R.F.O. at 4.5p per gallon.
In regard to prices of petroleum products in the UK and other EEC countries, some limited information in this regard is published by the EEC Commission in their oil bulletin but I think it important that any conclusions drawn from that information should have due regard to a lack of uniformity which exists in the price-reporting procedures operating in the various countries. Indeed the Commission's bulletin itself carries a qualification to the effect that in the figures included no account is taken of market structures, quality specifications and methods of distribution which are unique to each member state.
As the Deputies may be aware substantial reductions have recently been made in the Irish maximum prices for petroleum products with effect from 1 April 1983 (wholesale) and 5 April (retail). The pre-tax reductions involved range from 10.25p to 13.5p per gallon in the price of petrol, from 6p to 8p per gallon on road diesel, from 4p to 8p per gallon on other gas oils and from 1p to 3.5p per gallon on fuel oils.