§ Sir I. Alberyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he can state the number of children attending elementary schools in the United Kingdom; the number receiving cheap milk, and the number receiving free milk?
Mr. LindsayThe latest figures available relate to 31st March, 1938. At that date there were 5,035,506 children on the registers of the public elementary schools in England and Wales; of these 2,235,278 were receiving milk on payment at the reduced rate under the milk-in-schools scheme and 457,062 were receiving free milk.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that the corresponding figures for Scotland are:—
Number of children on the registers of primary schools (including advanced divisions) 613,984 Number of children receiving milk on payment at the reduced rate under the milk-in-schools scheme 237,581 Number of children receiving free milk 62,472
§ Mr. G. Macdonaldasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will state the number of local education authorities that are not providing free milk in schools, giving separate figures for Lancashire; the reason for such a decision; and what action his Department is taking to deal with the same?
Mr. LindsayIn 48 areas in England and Wales, for the most part small, the local education authorities, of which four are in Lancashire, do not exercise their power of providing free milk. In eight of these areas free solid meals are provided. All areas are being surveyed by the Board with a view to ascertaining the reasons for the absence, or inadequacy, of arrangements for the provision of free milk.