Mr. David Adamsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education, in how many local authorities nutrition surveys of school children arc carried out each six months as recommended in his report for 1938; whether he is aware that many local education authorities are not in a financial position to carry out this recommendation; what progress has been made by the survey now being carried out by the Board as to the adequacy of the provision of free meals and milk in England and Wales; whether this survey has begun in the most necessitous areas; and what is the number of cases in which the Board have made suggestions to the local education authorities as to the necessity of improving their provision of free meals and milk?
Mr. LindsayAccording to the information in the possession of the Board, which is, however, not altogether complete, nutrition surveys of all children in public elementary schools are carried out at intervals of six months or less in the areas of at least 50 local education authorities. There are also a large number of areas where such surveys are carried out at longer intervals. I am aware of the financial difficulties of certain authorities, but the conduct of nutrition surveys is so important a part of the School Medical Service that financial considerations should not make it impossible to incur the comparatively small expenditure involved, which is aided to the extent of 50 per cent. by the Board's grants. The survey by the Board of the adequacy of the provision of free meals and milk has now covered nearly half of the local education authorities in England and Wales, including1142W 23 of the 29 Special Areas. As stated in my reply of 29th June to the Noble Lady the Member for the Sutton Division of Plymouth, the Board have communicated with about 130 local education authorities making suggestions for the improvement of their arrangements, and in a number of cases these suggestions have already been adopted by the authorities.