§ Mr. Archerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school meals are provided daily in Northern Ireland; how many of them are provided free; how many school meals are provided in Northern Ireland per area board, per primary school and per secondary school; how many free school meals are provided per area board, per primary school and per secondary school; and if he will make a statement on the effect of the proposed changes in social security legislation on the provision of free school meals.
§ Mr. ScottThe available information is as follows (based on a day in October 1984).
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Belfast board area Southern board area North Eastern board area South Eastern board area Western board area North Ireland Free meals 7,172 9,308 8,237 3,744 10,051 38,512 Total meals provided 27,108 40,556 33,006 20,873 39,553 161,096 Total free meals 16,914 23,554 18,675 9,724 25,107 93,974 The Green Paper on Social Security Reform proposes to replace supplementary benefit with income support and recipients of this new benefit would continue to be entitled to free school meals for their children. It is also proposed that family income supplement be replaced by family credit and the rates of such credit will be enhanced to provide extra cash instead of entitlement to free school meals.