§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will detail the number of(a) claimants and (b) dependants claiming each means-tested benefit for which he is responsible.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe Department is responsible for the assisted places scheme, the music and ballet scheme and for mandatory awards. The latest available number of pupils and students claiming these benefits are giving in the following table:
Benefit Claimants Year Music and Ballet 496 1987–88 Assisted Places Scheme 24,696 1987–88 Mandatory Award Holders1 403,110 1986–87 1 Of these about 8,000 claimed additional allowances for dependents. Local education authorities operate their own schemes of assistance to pupils, for example, school clothing, and are required to offer free school meals to certain pupils. The numbers receiving free school meals in October 1987 were 1,101,132
Details of the take-up of other schemes run by local education authorities are not available.