HC Deb 09 April 1973 vol 854 c217W
Mr. Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children attended schools within the Cheshire local education authority area in September 1970; what proportion took school lunches; what proportion of those taking school meals had free lunches; and how these figures compare with the most recently available figures.

Mr. St. John-Stevas

On a day in September 1970, 172,134 pupils attended maintained schools in Cheshire; 73.5 per cent. of the pupils present took the school dinner and 8.4 per cent. of these received it free of charge. Corresponding figures for October 1972, the latest available, were, 185,859, 66.1 per cent. and 13.3 per cent.