CIGARETTES

Mr Soh Ghee Soon asked the Financial Secretary to state-

(a) the average monthly releases, by grades, of cigarettes from bond in 1958; the main brands under each grade, and which brand had the biggest release in 1958 in each grade;

(b) whether the release last year of any one brand in any particular grade exceeded the total releases of all the other brands in the same grade, and the names of such brands;

(c) the c.i.f. value-brackets within which each grade was placed in November 1958; and

(d) whether he is aware of the retails prices about the middle of November 1958 per 1,000 sticks of each of the ten brands that had the biggest releases last year and what was the duty per 1,000 sticks on each of these brands at that time.

Mr Oon Khye Kiang: Sir, with the exception of sub-paragraph (b), it is possible to supply the information as asked for in the other sub-paragraphs. As a lot of figures are involved, I shall be circulating the information in the Official Report.

The information on release by brands for the whole of 1958 is not available. It will take some considerable time to go through the records of the whole year and produce the necessary figures to show whether or not the release of any one brand in any particular grade exceeded the total releases of all the other brands in the same grades. I do not know if the hon. Member still requires this information. If so, I shall arrange to send him the figures as soon as they have been collected.

Mr Soh Ghee Soon (Cairnhill): Sir, on sub-paragraph (b), since the Financial Secretary said that it will take some time to produce the necessary figures, I wonder whether he can give a reply in the meantime stating the figures for any one month in 1958.

Mr Oon Khye Kiang: Sir, I have got the information for the releases for one month in 1958:

Grade D-Double Ace 10s exceeded all other brands.

Grade C-Capstan Medium 20s exceeded all other brands.

Grade B-Player's Medium 10s exceeded all other brands.

Grade B1-State Express 10s exceeded all other brands.

Grade A-State Express 50s did not exceed all other brands.

Following is the information:

(a) (i) Average monthly releases, by grades, from bond in 1958. Grade Sticks or Lbs. D 30,476,000 76,190.0 C 16,762,000 41,905.0 B 66,285,000 165,712.5 B1 22,095,000 55,237.5 A 17,142,800 42,857.0 De Luxe 218,000 545.0 ----------- --------- 152,978,800 382,447.0 ----------- ---------

(ii) Main brands under each grade.

D-Double Ace 10s: Torchlight 10s: Rough Rider 10s.

C-Capstan Medium 20s: Roth-man's King Size 50s.

B-Player's Medium 10s: Gold Flake 10s: Abdulla Cool-tipt 10s.

B1-Player's Medium 50s: Gold Flake 50s: Senior Service 50s: State Express 10s.

A-State Express 50s: Churchman's No.1 50s: Player's No. 3 50s.

De Luxe-Player's Perfectos Finos 50s.

(iii) Brand having the biggest release in each grade.

Grade D : Double Ace

Grade C : Capstan Medium 20s

Grade B : Player's Medium 10s

Grade B1 : State Express 10s

Grade A : State Express 50s.

(c) C.I.F. value-brackets within which each grade was placed in November, 1958. Grade C.I.F. per 1,000 sticks D $7.50 and less than $10.50 C $10.50 and less than $13.50 B $13.50 and less than $15.00 B 1 $15.00 and less than $16.50 A $16.50 and less than $25.00 De Luxe exceeding $25.00 (d) Retail prices in mid-November, 1958, per 1,000 sticks of each of ten brands and the amount of duty per 1,000 sticks on each of these brands. Brand Packing Retail Price Duty per per 1,000 1,000 sticks sticks $ c. $ c. Double Ace 10 30 00 18 71 Capstan Medium 20 35 00 19 44 Capstan Medium 50 45 00 24 80 Player's Medium 10 40 00 19 44 Player's Medium 50 48 00 24 80 Gold Flake 10 40 00 19 44 Gold Flake 50 48 00 24 80 State Express 10 50 00 26 60 State Express 50 53 00 27 10 Craven "A" 10 40 00 19 44 Craven "A" 50 48 00 25 00 Churchman's No.1 10 50 00 26 62 Churchman's No.1 50 53 00 27 26 Rothmans King Size 50 38 75 19 85 Consulate Long Size 50 38 75 21 47 Lucky Strike 20 42 50 20 47