§ 49. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is aware of misunderstandings created by her Department's advertising material in respect of entitlement to free school meals, particularly in respect of the distinction between gross and presumed net income; and if she will take steps to clarify the position.
§ Mrs. ThatcherI am aware that the publicity resulted in some applications from parents whose net income proved on assessment to be too high. On the credit side, it is to be noted that the May census showed an increase of 136,000 free school meals compared with last September. I will bear in mind for future publicity the need for the clearest possible distinction between net and gross income.
§ Mrs. Jill Knightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what studies have been made by her Department of the use of industrial catering for school meals; and with what result.
§ Mrs. ThatcherNone by the Department itself but we have been aiding a joint research project into the use of frozen food being conducted by the Leeds local education authority and Leeds University.
Other local education authorities are experimenting with different forms of catering and my Department is keeping in touch with them.
§ Dr. Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the totals of school meals taken under each local education authority during the weeks beginning 4th May, 1970, 5th October, 1970, 11th January, 1971, 8th March, 1971, 3rd May, 1971, and the latest week for which figures are available.
§ Mrs. ThatcherThe information requested is available to my Department only in respect of the last of the periods specified. For this, I would refer him to my reply to the Question of 5th July by my hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maude).—[Vol. 820, c. 299–310.]
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science 432W whether she has received the communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, enclosing details of a resolution passed by the Newham Teachers' Association showing that there has been a 40 per cent. fall off in the take-up of school meals since the recent price increase; and what was the nature of her reply.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeA reply was sent yesterday pointing out that for reasons explained in the letter the Association's estimate was too high.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will seek to obtain from the European Economic Community details of the amounts of subsidies and payments made towards free and cheap meals, milk, &c., which are paid in each of the countries of the Six, and publish these in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mrs. ThatcherNo.