§ Baroness FISHER of REDNALMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied with the Provision of Milk and Meals Regulations 1969 regarding the remission of the school meal charge in respect of parents suffering financial hardship.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Lord Crowther-Hunt)My Lords, the Government are satisfied that, having regard to the level of the charge at present made for school meals, the prescribed arrangements for remitting the charge in cases of financial hardship are sufficiently generous to ensure that any parent who cannot afford to pay for school meals is eligible for relief.
§ Baroness FISHER of REDNALMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that in assessing eligibility for free school meals the first £2 of disability pensions or disability payment is disregarded, but that invalidity benefits are not accorded the same financial implications for those families?
§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNTYes, my Lords, I am aware of that, but I am not quite sure of the precise point that my noble friend wants me to answer.
§ Baroness FISHER of REDNALMy Lords, in view of my noble friend understanding that position, and in view of the fact that invalidity payments are paid 302 to families only when there has been a sickness benefit of over 28 weeks and therefore normally a serious financial difficult arising in a family, does he not think that it would be fair to offer the same disregard in relation to invalidity pensions? Would my noble friend look quite sincerely at the regulations in this respect, to see whether he can make the same financial disregard in view of the same kinds of difficulties in these families?
§ Lord CROWTHER-HUNTMy Lords, I shall certainly look at the regulations about this.