63. Mr. David Adamsasked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the policy of continuing private billeting, and of the fact that the feeding of children in private billets was one of the factors responsible for the breakdown of private billeting in the recent evacuation, he will arrange that all evacuated schoolchildren shall be communally fed by the reception authorities, thus securing to these children an adequate and well-balanced diet?
§ The President of the Board of Education (Mr. Ramsbotham)In Circular 1484, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member, the Board of Education have already urged local education authorities for reception areas to consider the need for arranging for the communal feeding of evacuated children, and I propose to call their attention again to this matter in connection with the further evacuation of children from the East coast towns and the Metropolitan area. The hon. Member will, however, be aware that the billeting allowances paid to householders cover the provision of food, and many householders who are able and willing themselves to provide suitable meals for the evacuated children prefer to do so rather than to surrender part of the billeting allowance in return for the provision of communal meals.
Mr. AdamsIs the Minister aware that there is overwhelming evidence on the part of directors of education and the teaching professions generally that communal feeding is necessary?