School Meals

HC Deb 07 December 1976 vol 922 cc127-8W

26. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children attended schools in England and Wales during the school year ended August 1976; what percentage took school dinners; what percentage of pupils taking dinners received them free of charge; and how these figures compare with the corresponding figures for each of the last four years.

Miss Margaret Jackson

There were 8,405,000 pupils in school, of whom 70.1 per cent. took school dinners, 13.3 per cent. receiving them free of charge. From figures for previous years, which I will circulate in the Official Report, it is clear that the percentage of pupils taking dinners has continued to rise.

Following are the figures:

MAINTAINED SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND AND WALES (INCLUDING NURSERY AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS)
Year (October)	Pupils in attendance 000's	Percentage of pupils in attendance taking school dinners Per cent.	Percentage of pupils taking school dinners who received them free of charge Per cent.
1971		7,785	59.8	17.3
1972	…	7,929	64.0	16.7
1973	…	8,198	66.1	14.7
1974	…	8,240	70.1	13.0
1975	…	8,405	70.1	13.3

The figures relate to a day in October on which the school meals census was taken for the years in question; the entry for 1975 relates, therefore, to the educational year ending 31st August 1976.

Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish details showing how eligibility to free school meals is calculated.

Miss Margaret Jackson

Details are given in the Provision of Milk and Meals Regulations 1969, as amended, which can be obtained from Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Copies are available in the Library. The statutory regulations may, however, be too complex to be helpful to potential applicants, and we have recently indicated to local education authorities that they should make available sufficient information about the income scale and about the deductions, allowances and disregards of income to enable parents to come to a reasonable decision whether or not it is worth their while to make application.