asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that the current price of bakers' flour in Great Britain is 21/6 per sack ex mill and that the same flour in Éire is 40/6 per sack; and whether he will require the Prices Commission to investigate the reasons for this discrepancy in prices.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Bakers' Flour.
The current quotation for straight-run flour at London is 22/6 for 280 lbs. The current quotation for bakers' flour at Dublin is 40/6 per sack. These figures are not comparable for a number of reasons. In the first place it is not clear that British straight-run flour is similar in quality to Irish bakers' flour. Secondly, the price quoted for Irish flour includes an amount attributable to the additional cost arising from the statutory obligation of Irish flour millers to purchase quotas of native wheat at fixed minimum prices. To the list prices quoted for British flour should be added the wheat quota levy of 6/6 per sack which is payable on all flour consumed in Great Britain. Furthermore, the Dublin price includes the cost of sacks and delivery free on rail of flour consigned to places outside Dublin. The quoted prices for British flours do not include the cost of sacks or of delivery. For these and other reasons any comparison of quoted prices for British and Irish flours may lead to erroneous conclusions. With regard to the last part of the Deputy's question, the Prices Commission are keeping the price of flour under constant review.
Is the Minister aware that, whatever the reasons may be for this wide disparity in price between two flours which are identical, in London and in Dublin, the result is an annual tax on the consumers of flour in this country of approximately £2,500,000?
I am aware that that is nonsense.
Is the Minister aware that the consumption of flour in this country is 2,750,000 sacks per annum; that the disparity in price admitted by himself between the commodity in England and here is 19/- per sack, and that that represents an annual charge of £2,500,000 on the consumers of flour in this country?
The Deputy apparently has not understood my reply. There is no such disparity in price.
On the contrary, I understood the Minister's reply very clearly. Is he aware that the disparity in price does exist as surely as the disparity in bacon prices existed, to which I directed his attention two years ago?
The answer is in the negative.
It was in the negative about bacon two years ago, too.