§ Mr. Marksasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is her estimate of the weekly cost to a married man who has two children between the ages of seven and 11 years of age and earns £20 per week of the proposals for school meals and milk in Command Paper No. 4515.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeBecause the net income on which remission of school meals charges is based depends on individual circumstances, it is not possible to be precise about a hypothetical case. In typical circumstances, deductions of £6 5s. for rent, rates, tax, insurance and expenses might be made, giving a net weekly income of £14 13s. when adjustment had been made for family allowances. Under the arrangements proposed in Cmnd. 4515 a parent with a net income between £14 2s. and £14 14s. would be entitled to free meals for one child. Under present arrangements the parent would not be entitled to any free meals for his children but he would receive free milk for his two children. I estimate that the parent would pay 5s. 6d. per week less for school meals next April than at present. If he decided that his children 297W needed extra milk to make up the loss of free school milk the cost to him would be 3s. 4d. per week from the beginning of the autumn term 1971.