HC Deb 04 July 1984 vol 63 cc172-5W
Mr. Henderson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the results of the annual census of school

Education authority schools (including nursery and special schools)
1984 1983
Schools meals Numbers As percentage of pupils present Numbers As percentage of pupils present
Pupils present on Census day 756,735 814,506
Pupils taking school meals
—on payment 182,455 24.1 178,417 21.9
—free 129,335 17.1 132,953 16.3
—total 311,790 41.2 311,370 38.2
Pupils bringing own food 77,266 10.2 79,860 9.8

A detailed statement of the returns from education authorities from which these national figures are derived is being placed in the Library.

The following table shows as percentages of pupils attending their respective sectors those primary and secondary pupils taking meals or bringing their own food.

Primary Secondary
1984 1983 1984 1983
Pupils taking school meals 46.6 43.9 35.9 32.1
Pupils bringing own food 14.9 14.1 5.4 5.4

1984 1983
Paid Free Total Percentage of pupils present Paid Free Total Percentage of pupils present
Pupils taking fixed meals 120,304 108,426 228,730 30.2 129,118 116,300 245,418 30.1
Pupils taking cafeteria meals 62,151 20,909 83,060 11.0 49,299 16,653 65,952 8.1

Annual census of school meals—January 1984
Regions/Administration divisions (Strathclyde) Islands Authorities Number of schools Number of pupils on register Number of pupils present Numbers of pupils
Taking fixed meals on payment of charge (4) as percentage of (3) Taking fixed meals free (6) as percentage of (3) Taking meals at cash cafeteria (on payment) (8) as percentage of (3)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)
per cent. per cent. per cent.
Borders 115 16,042 14,707 1,548 10.5 705 4.8 2,537 17.2
Central 192 48,290 42,314 7,644 18.1 6,393 15.1 1,889 4.5
Dumfries and Galloway 154 24,100 21,995 4,888 22.2 1,807 8.3 4,471 20.3
Fife 265 61,092 52,425 7,959 15.2 4,862 9.3 6,137 11.7
Grampian 390 81,593 72,821 20,254 27.8 4,002 5.6 4,031 5.5
Highland 287 36,014 31,916 8,302 26.0 2,349 7.4 4,462 14.0
Lothian 469 113,979 99,041 14,311 14.4 9,226 9.3 11,641 11.8
Strathclyde 1,472 410,352 351,577 42,812 12.2 71,827 20.4 20,014 5.7
Argyle and Bute 98 10,858 9,714 2,364 24.3 1,018 10.6 1,470 15.1
Ayr 235 67,234 59,701 10,062 16.9 11,333 18.9 2,426 4.1
Dunbarton 183 57,541 48,748 7,511 15.4 5,024 10.3 6,568 13.5
Glasgow (City) 455 117,479 96,488 7,256 7.5 31,033 32.1 1,995 2.1
Lanark 313 94,372 82,119 7,727 9.4 15,311 18.7 2,067 2.5
Renfrew 188 62,868 54,807 7,892 14.4 8,108 14.8 5,488 10.0
Tayside 287 63,316 57,148 7,218 12.6 5,413 9.5 6,528 11.4
Orkney 34 3,470 3,201 1,353 42.3 512 16.0 30 0.9
Shetland 48 4,275 3,977 2,542 63.9 236 5.9
Western Isles 78 6,083 5,613 1,473 26.3 1,094 19.5 411 7.3
SCOTLAND 3,791 868,606 756,735 120,304 15.9 108,426 14.3 62,151 8.2

meals in Scotland held in January 1984; how these compare with the corresponding 1983 results; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Younger

The information is as follows:

The Education Act 1980 allowed authorities greater freedom in the provision of school meals and this has resulted in a more diversified and consumer oriented school meals service. All authorities continue to provide the fixed traditional two-course meals, but the attraction of cafeteria style snacks is illustrated by the increasing numbers of pupils taking them. In January 1980 there was virtually no provision of snack meals but by January 1984 11 per cent. of all pupils present on the day of census had a snack meal, more than one in every four meals served. The figures are as follows:

Regions/ Administration divisions (Strathclyde) Islands Authorities Numbers of pupils Number of teachers taking meals Number of school meals staff taking meals Number of other staff taking meals
Taking melas at cash cafeteria (free) (10) as percentage of (3) Total (4) + (6) + (8) + (10) (12) as percentage of (3) Taking own food (14) as percentage of (3)
(10) (11) per cent. (12) (13) per cent. (14) (15) per cent. (16) (17) (18)
Borders 408 2.8 5,198 35.3 2,341 15.9 249 213 90
Central 50 0.1 15,976 37.8 3,504 8.3 411 632 119
Dumfries and Galloway 911 4.1 12,077 54.9 2,843 12.9 456 510 74
Fife 1,859 3.5 20,815 39.7 4,041 7.7 676 732 341
Grampian 316 0.4 28,603 39.3 4,128 5.7 984 1,115 269
Highland 1,089 3.4 16,202 50.8 2,872 9.0 649 613 81
Lothian 3,187 3.2 38,368 38.7 13,506 13.6 1,632 1,590 479
Strathclyde 10,521 3.0 145,174 41.3 38,502 11.0 6,267 5,702 2,181
Argyll and Bute 507 5.2 5,359 55.2 1,047 10.8 239 215 55
Ayr 1,357 2.3 25,178 42.2 8,518 14.3 1,071 917 285
Dumbarton 2,361 4.8 21,464 44.0 5,191 10.6 1,029 759 367
Glasgow (City) 2,758 2.9 43,042 44.6 5,244 5.4 1,597 1,635 714
Lanark 2,005 2.4 27,110 33.0 10,809 13.2 1,346 1,186 534
Renfrew 1,533 2.8 23,021 42.0 7,693 14.0 985 990 226
Tayside 2,289 4.0 21,448 37.5 4,408 7.7 690 860 205
Orkney 1,895 59.2 157 4.9 77 66 13
Shetland 2,778 69.8 251 6.3 194 109 22
Western Isles 281 5.0 3,259 58.1 713 12.7 130 143 16
Scotland 20,909 2.8 311,790 41.2 77,266 10.2 12,415 12,285 3,890