§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish figures showing the new income limits for free school meals.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will publish in the Official Report the scale rates of income used to decide the eligibility of school pupils for free school meals.
§ Miss Margaret Jackson:Details are contained in the Provision of Milk and Meals (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 1977 which were laid before Parliament on 24th October 1977 and will come into effect on 14th November. The regulations are subject to negative resolution procedure. The rates are as follows:
169WNet weekly income is arrived at by deducting income tax, national insurance contributions and certain expenses, and by disregarding a number of resources specified in regulations. The gross income will, of course, vary in individual circumstances, but as an illustration, a family living in rented accommodation and with two children both at school would be likely to qualify for free meals for both of them if the gross parental income was not greater than about £70; and a similarly placed family with four children at school would receive free meals for all if the gross parental income was not more than about £80.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent steps were taken by her Department to inform parents of the new regulations for eligibility for free school meals.
§ Miss Margaret Jackson:The circular (7/77) announcing the changes which came into effect in August urged local education authorities to use all possible means of publicising information about the revised remission scale. My Department also provided briefing material for the national and local Press and for radio and television. The scale will be further raised as from 14th November as a consequence of the increase in the levels of supplementary benefit, and local authorities have been invited to take steps to draw the new scale to the attention of parents. Briefing will again be provided for the press and broadcasting services. Posters about eligibility for free school meals are being displayed in post offices, libraries, citizens advice bureaux and elsewhere; there will be versions in eight minority languages, as well as in English and Welsh. Details of the November scale have also been incorporated in the latest leaflet about family benefits, prepared by the Department of Health and Social Security.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is. her estimate for September 1977 of the take—up rate in England and Wales of free school meals expressed as a percentage of those who are estimated to qualify:and what is the corresponding figure for September 1976.
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§ Miss Margaret Jackson:Our latest estimate is that 75 per cent. of the pupils eligible to receive free school meals in 1976–77 took up their entitlement. A comparable figure for 1977–78 is not yet available.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will list, for each education authority in England and Wales, the number of school pupils receiving paid school meals and free school meals, respectively, in September 1977 and the corresponding figures for September 1976.
§ Miss Margaret Jackson:The information for the current school term will not be available until next month, and will relate to a day in October. I will arrange for a copy of the complete return to be placed in the House of Commons Library. The comparable information from the October 1976 Census was placed in the Library last year.