asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the commodities and services in respect of which he exercises statutory control over prices and (b) the number of Retail Price Orders in force and the commodities to which they relate.

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate in the Official Report a list of the commodities and services in respect of which Price Control Orders made by me are at present in operation. The list includes particulars of the Retail Price Orders at present in force.

COMMODITIES AND SERVICES IN RESPECT OF WHICH STATUTORY PRICE CONTROL IS AT PRESENT EXERCISED BY THE MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of investigations made by the Prices Advisory Body in each of the years 1951, 1952 and 1953 to date and the number of public inquiries held.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of full meetings of the Prices Advisory Body held since the 1st January, 1953, and the number of applications made to the body for public investigation into prices.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.

The Prices Advisory Body is a permanentbody which is constantly investigating the prices of commodities, and I do not require to be informed how many investigations are carried out before recommendations are made to me. I am informed that the number of full meetings held since 1st January, 1953, is 26.

The number of public inquiries held was 15 in 1951 and five in 1952. No public inquiries were held in 1953 and only one application for a public investigation has been made. That application relates to cinema admission charges and is being examined.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of prices inspectors serving in his Department and the number who are unestablished.

Fifteen officers, whose duties include the making of inspections in connection with certain other statutory functions of my Department, carry out price investigations as and when required. Of these, 11 are unestablished officers.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of prosecutions for breaches of prices Orders during the years 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953, to date.

The number of prosecutions for breaches of prices Orders during the years 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953 to date was as follows:—