§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish a table showing the number of children in Great Britain who received free school meals in each year from 1973–74 ; and if she will include estimates for 1978–79.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe figures for England and Wales are as follows:
Year Numbers (000's) 1973–74 795 1974–75 750 1975–76 784 1976–77 839 1977–78 997 1978–79 1,155 (estimate) Note:Apart from 1978–79 the numbers for each year are obtained from the autumn 281W school meals census and relate to children taking meals on a day in the autumn term.
Comparable figures for Scotland are not collected by my Department.