§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children were taking school meals for which they paid part of the cost in 1960, 1964, 1968, and the current financial year, respectively.
§ Miss BaconFollowing are the number of children taking school meals for which charges were paid (England and Wales):
1960 … 3,161,000 1964 … 3,808,000 1968 … 4,179,000 1969(provisional) … 4,569,000
§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how
358Wmany children are currently taking free school meals; and what was the figure in 1960 and 1964.
§ Miss BaconActual figures for 196970 are not yet available but the provisional number is 594,000. In 1960 it was 247,000 and in 1964 281,000. All figures relate to England and Wales.
§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much of the subsidy of £81 million for school meals in the current financial year is accounted for by the cost of giving free school meals to those children whose parents cannot afford to pay; what was the subsidy and what was the cost of free school meals in 1960 and 1964;and what was the cost of free school meals as a percentage of the subsidy in each of those three years.
§ Miss Bacon£8.4 million and 10.4 per cent. Equivalent figures for earlier years follow:
(1) (2) (3) Subsidy Cost of Providing Free Meals✶ Col. (2) as Percentage of Col. (1) £m £m 1960–61 … 38 2.4 6.3 1964–65 … 54 2.8 5.2 ✶ This cost is taken as the cost of remitting the charge, since the difference between the charge and the full cost of the meals is a subsidy applicable to all meals.