§ MR. ASHLEY (Lancashire, Blackpool)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on medical inspection and feeding of children attending public elementary schools, which shows that the cost of food alone for a child's meal varies from 1d. to 2d., he can say what would be the annual cost of providing one meal per day for all children attending public elementary schools in the administrative county of London, and to what rate on London property this sum would be equivalent.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. BIRRELL,) Bristol, N.The cost of the food for giving a meal to every child in public elementary schools in London on every occasion when the school is open would be, at 1d. per child, about £596,000, which is equivalent to the rate of 3½d. in the pound; if the food cost 2d. per head, the figures will be £1,192,000, equivalent to a 7d. rate. These figures take no account of the heavy expenditure on the provision and serving of the meals, including, not improbably, 86 special buildings. Of this expenditure I can give no estimate.