HC Deb 13 June 1980 vol 986 cc313-4W
Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number by which school meals have fallen in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales between May 1979 and May 1980.

Dr. Boyson

This information is not available, the spring and summer censuses having been discontinued.

Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the charges made for school meals by each local education authority ; which authorities charge more than the meal is worth ; and if he will issue advice to local education authorities to ensure that child nutrition is not disregarded.

Dr. Boyson

The Department understands that the charge currently made by each local education authority in England for a traditional two course school meal is as follows :

Avon 40p
Barking 40p
Barnet 40p
Barnsley 35p
Bedfordshire 50p
Berkshire 40p
Bexley 40p
Birmingham 40p
Bolton 35p
Bradford 35p
Brent 35p
Bromley 50p
Buckinghamshire 40p
Bury 40p
Calderdale 35p
Cambridgeshire 45p
Cheshire 50p
Cleveland 40p
Cornwall 40p
Coventry 35p
Croydon 35p
Cumbria 45p
Derbyshire 40p
Devon 45p
Doncaster 35p
Dorset 45p
Dudley 35p
Durham 35p
Ealing 50p
East Sussex 40p
Enfield 50p
Essex 45p*
Gateshead 35p
Gloucestershire 45p
Hampshire 50p
Haringey 35p
Harrow 35p
Havering 50p
Hereford and Worcester 40p
Hertfordshire 50p
Hillingdon 40p
Hounslow 35p
Humberside 50p
ILEA 35p
Isle of Wight 40p*
Kent 40p*
Kingston 45p*
Kirklees 35p
Knowsley 40p
Lancashire 35p
Leeds 40p
Leicestershire 40p
Lincolnshire 50p
Liverpool 35p
Manchester 35p
Merton 35p
Newcastle 35p
Newham 35p
Norfolk 40p
Northamptonshire 55p
North Tyneside 35p
Northumberland 55p
North Yorkshire 50p
Nottinghamshire 40p
Oldham 35p
Oxfordshire 35p
Redbridge 45p
Richmond 50p
Rochdale 40p
Rotherham 35p
St. Helens 40p
Salford 40p
Salop 40p
Sandwell 40p
Sefton 35p
Sheffield 35p
Solihull 50p
Somerset 40p
South Tyneside 35p
Staffordshire 35p*
Stockport 40p
Suffolk 40p
Sunderland 35p
Surrey 40p
Sutton 35p
Tameside 35p
Trafford 45p
Wakefield 35p
Walsall 35p
Waltham Forest 35p
Warwickshire 45p
West Sussex 40p
Wigan 35p
Wiltshire 45p
Wirral 40p
Wolverhampton 35p
*These authorities charge secondary pupils 5p or 10p more.

No authority is known to be charging the full cost of providing a school meal.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to issue advice on nutrition to local education authorities.