HC Deb 25 June 1985 vol 81 c345W
18. Mr. Meadowcroft

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many school children are now in receipt of free meals at school compared to 1978–79.

Mr. Dunn

In October 1984, which is the latest date for which figures are available, 1,147,886 children in England were receiving free school meals on the day of the school meals census. The figure for October 1978 census was 1,074,066.