asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce what increases in margins are being allowed to (a) brewers, (b) wholesalers, and (c) retailers, following the increase in duty on beer imposed by the Budget.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Profit Margins on Beer.
The increase in duty applies to all types of beer. Retail price control extends only to stout and porter in the County and County Borough of Dublin, the County Boroughs of Cork, Limerick and Waterford and the Borough of Galway and an increase of one penny a pint in the maximum retail price has been permitted by the price control Order made on 9th May, 1957. I cannot say what margins are taken at the various distributive levels.
On what basis was the Order made? Surely the Minister must have had the margins before him when he made it? It is not the new margins to which I refer.
How they may be distributed between brewers, wholesalers and retailers is not a matter for control.
What is the total margin?
There is an increase of 1d. per pint in the maximum retail price.
Of that 1d. how much goes between the three classes, if the Minister will not differentiate between them?
I do not think that is a subject for any official regulation.
I do not think the Minister is correct, but we shall have another opportunity.