asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will give the present controlled price on the retail sale of Irish whiskey for consumption on licensed premises.

The maximum price, as prescribed by Order, at which Irish whiskey may be sold by retail in any circumstances is the price at which it was sold in the same or similar circumstances immediately before 1st April, 1967.

Can the Minister say whether that allows for variation between one type of whiskey and another and why it is that one Irish distilled whiskey, which bears a name which is understood by some to be Scottish, sells at a price higher than other blends of Irish whiskey?

The regulation does allow for variations in price in so far as there were variations in price before 1st April, 1967.

Is it only such variations which are now permissible or variations of the same extent?

The maximum price for Irish whiskey which may now be charged is that which was charged immediately before 1st April, 1967.

Plus, no doubt, the taxes?

There have not been any additional duties.

Surely variations in price are natural consequences of variations in taste?

I would imagine that that is so.

And location.

37.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the number of complaints received by his Department this year regarding overcharging in licensed premises for Irish whiskey; (b) whether each complaint was investigated; (c) the method by which the investigations were carried out; (d) the results of the investigations in each case; and (e) whether any prosecutions took place or are pending.

Three complaints (including one anonymous complaint) were received in my Department this year regarding overcharging in licensed premises for Irish whiskey. The complaints other than the anonymous one were taken up in writing with the licensed premises concerned. No evidence of charges in excess of those permitted under the terms of the relevant Orders was procured, so that the question of prosecutions did not arise.

Am I to understand that the Minister does not investigate anonymous complaints and that he requires some member of the public who has a genuine complaint to identify himself and, having regard to the fact that some people would have no wish to incur the wrath of their favourite publican, will the Minister in the future investigate all complaints received? The question of whether or not the person gives his name to a complaint has no bearing on the validity of the complaint.

We cannot have a speech at Question Time.

May I reply?

Yes.

I am not saying that anonymous complaints are never investigated. They are, in fact, frequently. Sometimes one can get anonymous complaints which are rather wildly worded and so imprecise as to make it impossible to investigate the complaints concerned. I would point out that in the event of a complaint by a member of the public who gives his name and address being investigated and found to be well-founded, if we cannot persuade, say, the publican concerned to reduce his price and if we want to prosecute and the member of the public will not act as a witness, then we are in difficulty, so that the willingness of the public to co-operate in this is of considerable assistance in enforcing price control.