§ 15. Mr. LAWSONasked the President of the Board of Education, whether he is aware that, on application being made to the Somerset Education Committee that the children in one part of the county should be fed, the Education Committee requested the names of the children requiring food, and that the teachers in the schools which the children attended were then instructed to observe and weigh the children in order to ascertain whether they are suffering as the result of the mining stoppage; whether this action is in accordance with the Regulations of the Board; and, if not, what steps he is prepared to take in the matter?
§ Lord E. PERCYI have no information as to the action stated to have been taken by the Somerset authority. It is for the local authority to decide whether there is a need in their area for the exercise of their powers to provide meals, and I do not think that I can properly interfere with their discretion in the matter.
§ Mr. LAWSONDoes the right hon. Gentleman say that in a serious matter of this kind he has no power to see that the provisions of the Act are properly carried out? If I send him information of a school where the children were weighed the first week with their boots off and the second week with their boots on, will he investigate the matter?
§ Sir ROBERT SANDERSMay I ask the Noble Lord if he has any reason to think that the Somerset Education Authority is not carrying out its duties properly?.
§ Lord E. PERCYIn answer to the last supplementary question, I have no reason to think so. In answer to the first supplementary question, if the hon. Member will look at the Act of Parliament he will see that the local authority is only empowered to provide meals at its own cost when it is satisfied that children are unable, owing to lack of nourishment, to derive full advantage from the education provided and that no funds other than public funds are available to defray the cost of feeding them. These two things can, in their very nature, only be decided on local knowledge, and, therefore, under the terms of the Act, I think I have no right to interfere.
§ Mr. J. HUDSONIs it the view of the right hon. Gentleman that whether a child needs to be fed can only be discovered by weighing it?
§ 13. Mr. MARDY JONESasked the President of the Board of Education how many local education authorities have put the Acts for the feeding of school children into operation; how many of them are providing two meals per day; and how many are providing three meals per day?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe present number of authorities exercising their powers under the Education Act, 1921, to provide meals for school children is 146, of whom, according to the returns furnished to my Department, 36 provide two meals a day and 16 three meals a day.
§ Mr. PALINGHas the Noble Lord had any complaints from any districts that the Feeding of School Children Act has not been put into operation?
§ Lord E. PERCYAs far as I know, no complaints have come personally to my attention.
§ Mr. TAYLORCan the Noble Lord say whether these meals are given on seven days of the week?
§ Lord E. PERCYI should require notice of that question.