§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing the expenditure on the school meal service in each year since 1976 in cash and real terms.
§ Mr. FallonThe latest year for which information on actual expenditure on school meals and milk is available is 1988–89. The available information is as follows:
Net expenditure on school meals and milk1 Year Cash £ millions Real terms2£ millions 1975–76 318 1,002 1976–77 382 1,060 1977–78 365 891 1978–79 388 854 1979–80 422 796 1980–81 397 633 1981–82 397 577 1982–83 411 558 1983–84 427 554 1984–85 432 533 1985–86 435 509 1986–87 460 521 1987–88 443 476 1988–89 405 405 1 Recurrent expenditure, less income from paid meals and from EC grants. 2 Figures for earlier years have been converted to 1988–89 prices using the GDP (Market Prices) Deflator.
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing which local authorities are providing sandwiches rather than a hot meal for children in families receiving income support.
§ Mr. FallonThe information is not collected centrally.
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the average price of a school meal in cash and real terms in each year since 1976 in(a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) special schools.
§ Mr. FallonThe readily available information for primary schools is shown in the table. Information before 1979 is not readily available. Information was not collected centrally for secondary or special schools, nor for primary schools after 1988.
Average price for a primary school fixed charge meal Year (October) Cash pence 1Real terms pence 21979 30 57 1980 43 67 1981 46 67 1982 50 68 1983 52 67 1984 55 68 1985 59 69 1986 61 69 1987 64 69 1988 65 65 1 Figures for earlier years have been converted to 1988–89 prices using the GDP (Market Prices) Deflator. 2 September.