Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many children qualified for free school meals in the county districts of the Greater Manchester county in the years 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978;
LEA October 1975 October 1976 October 1977 May 1978 Bolton Paid … … 30,097 30,813 27,018 25,662 Free … … 4,745 5,178 6,520 8,320 Bury Paid … … 18,655 18,976 16,441 15,588 Free … … 2,296 2,392 3,253 4,079 Manchester Paid … … 45,559 43,175 35,801 32,169 Free … … 22,138 23,606 26,232 28,015 Oldham Paid … … 24,195 23,817 20,384 18,739 Free … … 6,005 5,118 6,265 6,822 Rochdale Paid … … 24,678 24,879 21,651 19,150 Free … … 5,206 5,644 6,408 7,727 Salford Paid … … 26,778 25,399 20,919 19,253 Free … … 8,032 8,007 10,142 10,680 Stockport Paid … … 32,918 32,235 26,125 23,942 Free … … 4,346 4,550 5,370 7,230 Tameside Paid … … 24,641 24,517 20,823 19,184 Free … … 4,400 4,816 5,625 6,548 Trafford Paid … … 25,683 25,125 21,488 19,754 Free … … 3,927 4,155 5,304 6,559 Wigan Paid … … 37,272 37,018 30,995 28,255 Free … … 5,418 5,961 7,649 10,709 The figures for May 1978 are the latest available. They are not directly comparable with the October figures because on average the take-up of meals during the summer term tends to be lower, by about 2 per cent. or 3 per cent., than in the autumn term.