§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
- what steps he proposes to take with regard to the treatment of small licensed traders in Ireland; whether, though the breweries have supplied the wholesale dealers with their full quantity, many of them have given nothing at all to the small traders, who have been without supplies since the 1st April; and whether he will take immediate steps to give those trades the right to purchase supplies direct from the breweries; and
- whether he will have inquiries made by the Irish Food Control Department as to the amount of beer supplied by breweries to wholesale dealers, whose names will be supplied by the licensed trade, and the amounts given by whole sale dealers to small traders during the
988 year ended March, 1918; and whether each wholesaler who did not give the proper supply will have the proper amount deducted from his 1918–19 supply, and in each case given to the small trader who should previously have got it?
§ Mr. CLYNESIt is difficult to ensure a reasonable supply of beer to small traders in Ireland who have no statutory claim for a direct supply, and the difficulty is aggravated by the fact that no clear account of actual supplies has usually been kept in the past. In cases were wholesale dealers have declined to serve small traders with a proportion of their accustomed supplies, Messrs. Guinness and other firms have hitherto arranged to send them a certain amount direct. This practice has again been rendered more difficult by the fact that less beer can now be brewed, but I am in communication with the large brewers and hope to be able to effect a satisfactory arrangement.