HC Deb 22 July 1954 vol 530 cc135-6W
63. Mr. Moyle

asked the Minister of Education the total number of outbreaks of food poisoning in the schools meals service for 1952, 1953 and 1954 up to the latest available date in Warwickshire. Staffordshire, Worcester, Shropshire and Herefordshire.

Mr. Pickthorn

My right hon. Friend is obtaining the information, and will write to the hon. Member.

64. Mr. Moyle

asked the Minister of Education to what extent, in fixing the unit of cost per meal for the school meals service, she takes into account the need to enable local education authorities to provide fresh vegetables and fruit when available.

Mr. Pickthorn

In fixing the unit cost for food per school dinner the provision made by local education authorities in their estimates for expenditure on fresh vegetables and fruit when available in their areas at reasonable cost is accepted.

65. Mr. Wheeldon

asked the Minister of Education which local education authorities in respect of the last available year did not receive 100 per cent. grant for their expenditure on school meals; and what was the amount disallowed in each case.

Mr. Pickthorn

In 1952–53 the expenditure of 40 local education authorities has not been fully covered by grant to the extent of a total amount of just over £49,000 out of a total gross expenditure for that year of over £41 million; 11 of these authorities did not have their estimated expenditure covered by the unit costs per meal fixed by my right hon. Friend under the Regulations.

Following is the list of the 40 authorities and the amounts of excess expenditure.

Authority Expenditure
£
Bedfordshire 50
Cambridgeshire 3
Cumberland 10
Cornwall 652
Gloucestershire 475
Herefordshire 527
London 7,995
Nottinghamshire 1,013
Yorks—WestRiding 934
Breconshire 3,031
Monmouthshire 3,471
Pembrokeshire 1,287
Barnsley 130
Barrow-in-Furness 191
Birmingham 2,447
Blackburn 1,771
Bolton 20
Bournemouth 80
Brighton 2
Croydon 58
East Ham 805
Exeter 158
Gateshead 102
Grimsby 11
Leeds 4,238
Lincoln 353
Manchester 711
Oldham 3,673
Oxford 1,488
Rochdale 295
St. Helens 649
Sheffield 161
South Shields 16
Smethwick 1,698
Tynemouth 135
West Bromwich 163
West Ham 481
Cardiff 372
Merthyr Tydfil 609
Swansea 8,905
Total 49,170