asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the total sum paid to the flour millers by way of subsidy in each of the years 1944, 1945 and 1946.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers - Flour Subsidy.
No subsidy is paid to flour millers. The amounts provided out of public funds during the financial years 1944-45, 1945-46 and 1946-47, to subsidise the price of flour were £2,565,178 0s. 11d., £2,969,940 13s. 7d., and £2,513,494 5s. 8d., respectively. These moneys were used to enable Grain Importers, Limited, to sell imported wheat to flour millers at a price which, having regard to the percentage of native wheat in the grist and the price paid to the growers and dealers by the millers for native wheat, enables them to sell flour at the controlled price. The losses incurred on these transactions by Grain Importers, Limited, are recouped by issues to that company from the Vote.