asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce why inquiries were not held in public during the 12 months ended 31st March, 1956, by the Prices Advisory Body into the prices of the following commodities: biscuits, corn flakes, glucose, cooked ham, margarine, meat cubes, peas, brushes, footwear, glass and glassware, pharmaceutical goods, pottery, sewing thread, woollens and worsteds.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prices Advisory Body Inquiries.
The Prices Advisory Body Order, 1951, provides that an inquiry may be held in public or in private, or partly in public and partly in private, as the Prices Advisory Body may think fit.
In the case of one of the items concerned in that list— pharmaceutical goods—an application was made to the body some years ago by the Lower Prices Council for a public inquiry. Can the Minister state why the council was not informed that the inquiry was being held and, if it was held in private, why we were not allowed to make submissions in private?
If the Deputy will put down a separate question I shall endeavour to let her have the information.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state in respect of the 69 inquiries undertaken by the Prices Advisory Body during the year ended 31st March, 1956, the number which were (a) initiated by the body, (b) held at his request, and (c) held as a result of applications by manufacturers and/or distributors.
During the 12 months ended 31st March, 1956, the inquiries in the case of 51 commodities were initiated by the Prices Advisory Body and inquiries in the case of 18 commodities were undertaken by the body at my request.
The inquiries in the case of 28 of the commodities were undertaken as a result of applications by manufacturers and/or distributors.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will specify the 18 commodities in respect of which price increases were sanctioned by him in the year ended 31st March, 1956, on the recommendation of the Prices Advisory Body as a result of inquiries by the body; and if he will state the number of such inquiries held in public, and the nature of the relevant commodity.
The following is the list of 18 commodities in respect of which price increases were sanctioned by me on the recommendation of the Prices Advisory Body as a result of inquiries undertaken by the body during the year ended 31st March, 1956:—
|
Acid calcium phosphate |
Gas |
|
Bacon |
Cast-iron baths |
|
Meat cubes |
Cement |
|
Porter |
Fertilisers |
|
Stout |
Files—Saw and Engineers' |
|
Cigarettes |
Flexible mirror glass |
|
Tobaccos |
Pottery |
|
Coal |
Rubber soles and heels |
|
Coke |
Springs and heel tips. |
Public inquiries were held in respect of the following eight commodities:—
|
Porter |
Coal |
|
Stout |
Coke |
|
Cigarettes |
Gas |
|
Tobaccos |
Fertilisers |