§ Mr. Ioan Evansasked the Secretary of State for Wales what response he has made to the request by the Schools
MAINTAINED SCHOOL INCLUDING NURSERY AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS October 1976 May 1977 October 1977 i. Pupils in attendance … 510,690 501,950 504,188 ii. Numbers taking dinners … 333,322 319,040 299,749 iii. Proportion taking dinners … 65.3% 63.6% 59.5% iv. Numbers taking free dinners … 59,893 61,620 70,425 a. as proportion of those in attendance … 11.7% 12.3% 14.07 b. as proportion of dinners served … 18.0% 19.3% 23.5% On the day of the census school dinners were taken by 68.7 per cent. of all pupils present in primary schools—72.5 per cent. last year—and by 48.2 per cent. in secondary schools—55 per cent. last year. The number of children bringing their own food to school rose from 46,100 in October 1976 to 67,780 in October 1977—an increase of 47 per cent. 15.2 per cent. of secondary school pupils brought their own food compared with 12.5 per cent. of primary pupils—12 per cent. and 6.9 per cent. respectively the previous year.
A detailed statement of the returns from local education authorities on which these figures are based is being placed in the Library.