§ MR. HENRY (Shropshire, Wellington)I beg to ask the President of the Board of 1049 Education if he will give the number of education authorities that are availing themselves of the provisions of the Education (Provision of Meals) Act; and whether, in view of the existing state of unemployment, he will inform the different education authorities of the desirability of making the necessary arrangements so that during the winter schools may be provided with the required equipment to meet the necessity of feeding children in accordance with the Act.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. TREVELYAN, Yorks, W.R., Elland)I have no complete statistics as to the number of authorities who have in one way or another taken action under the Education (Provision of Meals) Act, but information is now being collected as to the proceedings of local authorities under the Act during the year ended 31st March, 1908. Seventy authorities have been authorised by the Board under Section 3 of the Act to spend money out of the rates upon the purchase of food. The Board are not empowered by the Provision of Meals Act to make representations to local authorities urging them to adopt its provisions, but shortly after the passing of the Act the Board issued a circular calling the attention of local authorities to their powers under it and to the advantages that might be obtained by exercising them.