§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the price of school meals on the same date in each year since 1945; and what is the total cost per week of school meals for two children in each year as a percentage of the average earnings at the time.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe following table shows for each year from 1950 the daily charge for school meals and the percentage which the weekly charge for two children represents of average earnings. A uniform charge for meals was not introduced until 1950; figures for earlier years are not therefore available.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonI regret that this information is not available. At January 1975, the most recent date for which figures are available, there were 28,777 full-time-equivalent nursery education places in occupation in maintained nursery schools in England and a further 607W 59,925 full-time-equivalent nursery education places in occupation in nursery classes in maintained primary schools. Nursery education in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many additional nursery school places will be provided in 1976–77; and at what capital cost.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonLocal education authorities are not required to inform my Department of the projects they intend to carry out within the limits of their nursery education building allocations, and the costs of different kinds of provision vary. No figure is thus available of the number of additional places which will be provided from projects to be started in the 1976–77 building year. As my hon. Friend is aware, capital allocations announced last August to local education authorities in England for nursery education building starts in 1976–77 totalled £8.5 million.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many local education authorities refused to accept their nursery school allocation in 1975–76; which these were; and how much each refused;
(2) which local education authorities received an additional allocation for nursery education because of this refusal by others; and how much each received.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe 36 local education authorities in England which have relinquished all or part of their nursery education building allocations for 1975–76 and the amounts involved are as listed in the reply give to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 25th November 1975 with the addition of the following:
608W
Authority Allocation £ Amount relinquished £ Barnet 75,000 20,000 Barnsley 89,000 66,000 Devon 352,500 352,500 Dorset 107,500 97,000 Essex 507,500 432,500 Gloucestershire 109,167 109,167 Kingston upon Thames 42,500 42,500 Lincolnshire 192,500 192,500 Sutton 52,500 52,500 Wirral 75,000 75,000 The Kent authority has now relinquished a further £57,000, while Northumberland has decided to take up £14,000.
The following local education authorities have received additional nursery education building allocations for 1975–76 from the surrendered amounts:
Authority Additional Allocation £ Bedfordshire … … 340,000 Calderdale … … 24,000 Doncaster … … 45,000 Haringey … … 7,000 Hillingdon … … 145,000 ILEA … … 300,000 Nottinghamshire … … 750,000 South Tyneside … … 38,000 Walsall … … 35,000