asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that drinking water is now subject to an element of wholesale tax by virtue of the fact that such tax is applied to chlorine which is used for water purification; and if he will have chlorine excluded from this tax.

Chlorine is not a food or drink and it is used for many purposes other than the purification of drinking water. I do not propose to exempt it from wholesale tax.

This is the last resort: drinking water is now subject to taxation.

Could the Minister tell us of some other purpose for which chlorine could be used?

I know some other uses to which I would like to put it.