§ 55. Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what restrictions are placed on the availability of central Government subsidy towards the cost of school meals when the meals are of a character which allows the child to choose his own food.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeThe central Government subsidy towards the cost of school meals is provided indirectly through rate support grant. Under the
152WLocal Government Act, 1966. the net expenditure of local authorities on school meals of all kinds is included in the forecast of relevant expenditure on which the total amount of rate support grant is based. In sharing out the grant among individual authorities, the number of school dinners provided by an authority is one of the factors taken into account. For this purpose a "school dinner" is a mid-day meal suitable as the main meal of the day, and which meets the nutritional standard laid down in my Department's Circular 3/66, whether or not a choice of dishes is provided.