§ Mr. Buchanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the relationship between poor maternal health, particularly poor nutrition and incidence of handicap, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) a high nutritional level is maintained in meals in Scottish schools and (b) that a comprehensive health education programme is carried out in all Scotland's schools.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherEducation authorities have discretion over the nutritional standards of school meals and I have no intention of intervening. As 765W to health education, the content and management of the school curriculum is the responsibility of individual education authorities and head teachers. A report by Her Majesty's inspectors of schools on health education in primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland, published in 1979, made a number of recommendations, and in following up the report Her Majesty's inspectors have had discussions with education authorities, colleges of education and other agencies responsible for the development of health education. Health studies will also form part of the investigations into science and multi-disciplinary studies at foundation level in S3 and S4 in accordance with the programme set out in the paper "The Munn and Dunning Reports: The Government's Development Programme".