§ Mr. Bob Dunnasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report details of those services and functions carried out by local 174W education authorities in England which (a) have been eliminated and (b) have been made discretionary' since 3 May 1979.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 2 February 1981, c. 41]: No action has been taken since 3 May 1979 which would prohibit services or functions which local education authorities were previously empowered to carry out. The Education Act 1980 made the provision of school milk and meals discretionary, the latter subject to local education authorities providing free school meals for families receiving supplementary benefit or family income supplement; and to their providing facilities free of charge for pupils to eat their food. The Act also replaced the commonly misunderstood duty imposed on local education authorities by section 8(l)(a) of the Education Act 1944 with a discretionary power to provide education for children under 5 years of age.