asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism the number of companies and organisations that the National Prices Commission have recommended to him since January 1983 as being no longer subject to his approval for price increases; the name of each company; the reasons for this recommendation; the number of increases allowed, granted, approved or imposed by these companies since January 1983; the reasons for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Since January 1983 the National Prices Commission have recommended that 19 firms or organisations should be exempted or partially exempted from detailed price control and that in the case of 26 firms or organisations exemptions already given should be renewed.

Details of the main recommendations of the National Prices Commission in this regard are published in the commission's monthly reports. The reasons for the recommendations vary but are generally due to the following factors: strong competition in a particular market, poor financial position of the relevant firm or export exemption. The majority of exemptions are reviewed annually by the commission.

The monthly reports also give details of price increases notified by firms which have been granted exemption but are still required to give 21 days notice of proposed price increases. Copies of the commission's reports are circulated to Deputies and are available in the Dáil Library.

It appears that since January 1983 45 companies have been exempted, or partially exempted, from jurisdiction under the National Prices Commission. Will the Minister not agree this is an unhealthy situation, that companies are now free to bring in increases as they see fit at any time without referring to any organisation? This is detrimental to the consumers and to the economy generally in view of the fact that we have considerable competition from imported products.

The Deputy is not correct. What has happened is that they have been relieved of the obligation of detailed price control whereby they have to submit every application two months in advance and have it approved by the commission after detailed study. In most cases there is now a system whereby they give 21 days advance notice before implementing the price increase. If the Minister or the National Prices Commission want to stop them from doing that they have 21 days in which to do it. It is considered to be more efficient but they are still subject to price control in general.

10.