asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state, in relation to the list of items in the consumer price index which were increased in price, as indicated in a reply of 5th April, whether permission was received for each such individual increase.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Consumer Goods.
58.
The answer is "no". Retailers are, in general, not required at present to obtain permission to increase their prices. There is, in my view, adequate competition at this level to ensure that retail prices are not increased excessively.
I have agreed to price increases at manufacturing level on a number of the items listed but it is not possible to say what part of each such increase is reflected in the quoted retail price. This is because the increases listed are based on weighted average increases for the whole country.
Some of the increases may also be due to the increased cost of imported goods or other causes which need not be brought to my notice or to the increased cost of items outside the scope of the Prices Acts.
Question No. 59 postponed.