§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the cost of 701W free school meals for each year since 1960 (a) in 1975 prices and (b) as a percentage of gross national product.
§ Miss Joan LestorThe information is as follows:
FREE SCHOOL MEALS Year Actual cost £ million Cost at 1975 prices £ million Gross National Product £ million Actual cost as percentage of Gross National Product £ million 1960–61 2.4 9.9 23,323 0.010 1961–62 2.3 9.5 24,654 0.009 1962–63 2.5 9.9 25,881 0.010 1963–64 2.8 11.1 27,965 0.010 1964–65 2.8 10.7 30,149 0.009 1965–66 3.0 10.8 32,183 0.009 1966–67 3.1 10.6 34,006 0.009 1967–68 4.0 13.5 35,867 0.011 1968–69 12.2 38.8 38,235 0.032 1969–70 8.4 24.9 40,544 0.021 1970–71 10.8 29.0 44,871 0.024 1971–72 18.4 39.9 50,860 0.036 1972–73 19.5 38.3 57,609 0.034 1973–74 18.1 29.8 65,386 0.028 1974–75 17.0 22.1 78,858 0.022 Notes:
1. The figure of actual cost for each year is the product of the number of free school meals served throughout the year and the charge for the meals: it represents the actual cost to local education authorities of remitting the charge for dinners.
2. Figures of cost at 1975 prices have been obtained by applying to the actual cost figure for each year, the ratio of the average gross dinner cost for 1957 over the average cost for the year in question.
3. The abnormally high cost figures for 1968–69 reflect the concession, withdrawn after a year, whereby all fourth and subsequent children in family had entitlement to free school meals.