§ Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make a statement detailing the change in the number of schoolchildren taking school meals in the City of Portsmouth following the introduction of the new charges, with special reference to the income levels of the parents of those who have ceased to take them, and the percentage of children entitled to free meals who are taking them.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeInformation now being collected by local education authorities about numbers of pupils taking school meals will not be available for some time. Authorities' returns will 339W give details of numbers of pupils receiving free meals but authorities cannot collect information about the income level of parents whose children do not take the meal.
§ Mr. Will Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is yet able to state the number of pupils on roll, and the number of school meals taken in schools in the City of Manchester, at the latest available date, compared with the same period in 1970.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeThe latest available figures relate to a day in the autumn term, 1970, and are given below. Information about the number of pupils taking school meals during the current term is being collected by all local education authorities but it will be some time before these returns are completed. Comparable figures for the summer term were not collected last year.
Day pupils taking meals Day pupils present On payment Free Total 93,442 49,931 17,723 67,654