§ Mr. HICKSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education the number of children receiving school meals for the latest date conveniently ascertainable; and the number at comparable dates for the past 10 years?
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§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMThe undermentioned table gives the numbers of public elementary school children who received school meals during the first week of July in the years from 1922 to 1931, and during the month of July, 1932. From 1st May, 1932, monthly returns by local education authorities were substituted for weekly returns. The figure for July, 1932, is therefore not strictly comparable with that for previous years, as owing to additions to and removal from the feeding list, the number of children fed during a month is necessarily greater than the number fed during a single week.
Education Act, 1921—Sections 82–85. Number of children fed. — Free. For payment. Total. July, 1922 … 60,417 10,904 71,321 July, 1923 … 32,105 10,050 42,155 July, 1924 … 27,420 11,269 38,689 July, 1925 … 29,509 14,693 44,202 July, 1926 … 244,055 18,440 262,495 July, 1927 … 36,721 19,182 55,903 July, 1928 … 43,463 20,978 64,441 July, 1929 … 75,251 24,990 100,241 July, 1930 … 83,207 51,282 134,489 July, 1931 … 103,290 53,590 156,880 July, 1932 … 152,423 72,108 224,531