§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the amount spent by local authorities on (a) school transport and (b) schools meals in the latest year for which figures are available, the forecast for 1985 and the amount in 1978–79—all at 1985 prices.
§ Mr. DunnActual expenditure by local education authorities in England on home to school transport and on school meals, in 1978–79 and 1983–84, the latest year for which firm information is available, is given in the following table, together with the Government's plans for spending on these areas, as set out in Cmnd. 9428. All figures are at 1985–86 prices.
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£ million (1985–86 prices) 1978–79 1983–84 1985–86 Home to School transport* 205 194 198 School Meals† 726 468 280 * The figures cover maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools. Expenditure on transport other than home to school— eg. — travelling expenses for educational visits, sports etc.—is not included. Income from parental contributions, if any, has been deducted from expenditure to arrive at a net figure. † The fall in expenditure in real terms reflects the effects of the changes to the school meals service following the Education Act 1980 under which the duty of LEAs to provide free school meals for pupils other than those whose parents are in receipt of Supplementary Benefit and Family Income Supplement was removed. The Act also gave authorities the power to set their own charge for meals. The Government's plans for spending on school meals in 1985–86 and for later years assume that all authorities will take steps to curb overspending on school meals provision.