HC Deb 06 May 1986 vol 97 cc7-11W
Mr. Pendry

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a comparative table showing (a) the cost of fixed school meals in each region, division or island authority in Scotland from 1979 to 1985 and (b) the average amount spent on cafeteria meals.

Region, Division or Islands Authority 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
Charge for fixed price school meals Average amount spent on cafeteria meals Charge for fixed price school meals Average amount spent on cafeteria meals Charge for fixed price school meals Average amount spent on cafeteria meals Charge for fixed price school meals Average amount spent on cafeteria meals Charge for fixed price school meals Average amount spent on cafeteria meals
(pence) (pence) (pence) (pence) (pence) (pence) (pence) (pence) (pence) (pence)
Borders P 35 40 P40 44 P 42 48 44 P 52 S 54 46 P 34 S 52
Central 35 15 35 15 40 20 45 25 45 25
Dumfries and Galloway 40 35–40 P 45 50 P 50 35–50 50 35 52 41.5
Fife 35 50 40 50 45 42.5 48 42.5 50 43
Grampian 42 39 P 42 S 45 50 P 42 S 45 37 P 45 S 55 47 P 50 S 60 48
Highland 40 42 50 45 50 48 50 50 P 50 S 55 56
Lothian 35 34 35 40–45 45 40 45 48 S55 50
Strathclyde: 40 45 50 50 50 53 55
Argyll and Bute 40 35 45 50 50 40 53 41 55 40
Ayr 40 40 45 50 50 45 53 46.5 55 46
Dumbarton 40 45–50 45 50 50 38–40 53 46.5 55 38–40
Glasgow 40 40–48 45 50 50 44 53 43.5 55 44
Lanark 40 41–48 45 50 50 49 53 51 55 48
Renfrew 40 45 45 50 50 35 53 40 55 45
Tayside 40 35–40 45 35–40 P 45 S 50 46 P 45 S 50 47.5 50 45
Orkney 35 * 40 * 50 * 50 45 50 50
Shetland 35 * 35 * 35 * 45 * 50 *
Western Isles 35 * 40 * 45 54 60 64.5 60 60

Notes:

P=Primary.

S=Secondary.

*=No Cafeteria Service.

Mr. Pendry

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the method used by each regional authority for granting qualification to free school meals, and the numbers of children in these categories in each region receiving free meals as a result.

Mr. Allan Stewart

All education authorities have a statutory duty to provide free school meals for pupils whose families are in receipt of supplementary benefit or

Day Care Establishments and Day Services" is in the form of totals for each regional and island authority. These figures are as follows:

Mr. Allan Stewart

The information requested was not collected centrally prior to 1981. Details from 1981 to 1985 are as follows:

family income supplement. The following authorities are, at their discretion, also currently awarding free meals to some children on the basis of their family income—

  • Central
  • Dumfries and Galloway
  • Fife
  • Strathclyde
  • Orkney
  • Shetland
  • Western Isles

The criteria adopted for discretionary free meals varies from authority to authority

Grampian and Western Isles also provide free school meals to pupils whose families are in receipt of housing benefit supplement.

Details of the number of pupils receiving free meals within each of these categories is not collected in the school meals census survey, which in January 1985 showed a total of 136,669 children receiving free school meals.

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
Region Division or Island Authority Number of pupils present Number of meals taken Number of pupils present Number of meals taken Number of pupils present Number of meals taken Number of pupils present Number of meals taken Number of pupils present Number of meals taken Number of pupils present Number of meals taken Number of pupils present Number of meals taken
Borders 16,674 8,931 16,256 7,968 16,063 5,882 14,941 5,508 15,005 5,277 14,707 5,198 14,060 5,095
Central 48,181 20,035 47,697 18,626 47,857 17,615 45,144 17,691 44,494 16,556 42,314 15,976 41,643 16,160
Dumfries and Galloway 24,338 14,480 24,232 13,623 23,925 13,031 22,383 11,807 22,553 12,196 21,995 12,077 20,809 11,381
Fife 61,668 28,846 60,168 25,799 59,574 23,551 57,290 22,488 56,698 21,484 52,425 20,815 52,610 21,862
Grampian 80,363 36,730 79,318 36,019 79,341 29,429 74,608 28,292 73,910 28,462 72,821 28,603 72,102 29,193
Highland 35,090 19,059 35,160 17,170 34,578 13,941 33,369 14,832 33,482 15,470 31,916 16,202 32,410 15,973
Lothian 118,770 56,756 115,863 49,783 114,149 42,810 108,808 44,094 106,588 37,420 99,041 38,368 99,931 42,172
Strathclyde: 435,678 205,933 420,433 177,508 414,295 155,329 391,392 143,657 386,914 146,058 351,577 145,174 348,738 146,796
Argyll and Bute 10,637 6,088 10,650 5,838 10,584 5,232 10,377 5,232 10,233 5,412 9,714 5,359 9,624 5,094
Ayr 70,385 377,235 68,408 33,819 66,537 28,259 61,347 23,901 62,767 24,692 59,701 25,178 57,611 25,936
Dumbarton 58,527 26,133 57,961 22,487 56,890 19,841 54,734 19,718 53,873 20,416 48,748 21,464 52,011 22,588
Glasgow 129,523 60,772 121,049 51,433 121,580 47,744 113,796 44,998 110,487 46,072 96,488 43,042 94,663 42,956
Lanark 99,141 42,008 96,668 34,884 95,022 30,046 90,451 27,352 89,465 27,011 82,119 27,110 79,942 26,885
Renfrew 67,465 33,697 65,697 29,047 63,682 24,207 60,687 22,456 60,089 22,455 54,807 23,021 54,887 23,337
Tayside 66,325 30,329 64,755 26,867 64,928 19,631 63,336 20,042 62,070 20,470 57,148 21,448 57,388 22,645
Orkney 3,176 2,017 3,232 2,035 3,163 1,928 2,846 1,597 3,273 1,922 3,201 1,895 3,124 1,964
Shetland 3,832 3,072 3,939 2,965 4,089 3,025 4,065 2,925 4,044 2,887 3,977 2,778 3,926 2,705
Western Isles 5,846 3,791 5,763 3,582 5,824 3,495 5,464 3,279 5,475 3,168 5,613 3,259 5,332 2,978
SCOTLAND 899,941 429,979 876,816 381,945 867,786 329,667 823,646 316,212 814,506 311,370 756,735 311,790 752,073 318.924

Mr. Pendry

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the number and names of schools in each region or division in Scotland which do not supply school meals, giving the reasons for their not supplying meals.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The information taken from the 1985 annual school meals census is as follows:

Region Number of Schools not providing meals
Borders 17
Central 29
Dumfries and Galloway 5
Fife 40
Grampian 47
Highland 26
Lothian 91
Strathclyde: 111
Argyll and Bute 3
Ayr 29
Dumbarton 8
Glasgow 24

1979 1980 1981 1982
Region Division or Island Authority Number of Staff Employed Number of Staff Employed Number of Staff Employed Number of Staff Employed
More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total
Borders 105 196 301 94 199 293 56 192 248 55 182 237
Central 367 408 775 364 402 766 347 380 727 334 352 686
Dumfries and Galloway 195 408 603 169 407 576 189 397 586 163 400 563
Fife 341 618 959 333 669 1,002 286 564 850 253 581 834
Grampian 615 913 1,528 677 929 1,606 496 813 1,309 408 783 1,191
Highland 315 429 744 343 398 741 236 430 666 230 419 649

Mr. Pendry

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a comparative table showing the total uptake of school meals to pupils present from 1979 to 1985 in each region, division or island authority in Scotland.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The information is as follows:

Region Number of Schools not providing meals
Lanark 32
Renfrew 15
Tayside 18
Orkney 5
Shetland 2
Western Isles
Scotland 391

I shall write to the hon. Member with the names of the schools and a summary of the reasons for not supplying meals.

Mr. Pendry

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing (a) the total number of staff employed in the school meals service each year since 1979 in each region of Scotland and (b) the numbers of staff employed for (i) 30 or more hours per week and (ii) less than 30 hours per week.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The information is as follows:

1979 1980 1981 1982
Region Division or Island Authority Number of Staff Employed Number of Staff Employed Number of Staff Employed Number of Staff Employed
More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total
Lothian 902 1,559 2,461 887 1,514 2,410 809 1,391 2,200 743 1,311 2,054
Strathclyde: 3,272 4,711 7,983 3,386 4,443 7,829 3,058 3,991 7,049 2,842 3,739 6,581
Argyll and Bute 104 144 248 96 152 248 90 147 237 97 141 238
Ayr 542 655 1,197 523 626 1,149 481 574 1,055 449 537 986
Dumbarton 169 830 999 186 802 988 170 746 916 162 717 879
Glasgow 1,033 1,580 2,613 1,173 1,370 2,543 1,030 1,195 2,225 966 1,088 2,054
Lanark 801 787 1,588 793 788 1,581 737 669 1,406 663 647 1,310
Renfrew 623 715 1,338 615 705 1,320 550 660 1,210 505 609 1,114
Tayside 700 611 1,311 557 597 1,154 345 588 933 291 526 817
Orkney 38 28 66 40 28 68 40 27 67 40 28 68
Shetland 67 49 116 71 51 122 66 50 116 67 51 118
Western Isles 75 97 172 72 100 172 68 92 160 39 121 160
Scotland 6,992 10,027 17,019 6,993 9,737 16,739 5,996 8,915 14,911 5,465 8,493 13,958

1983 1984 1985
Region Division or Island Authority Number of Staff Employed Number of Staff Employed Number of Staff Employed
More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total More than 30 hpw Less than 30 hpw Total
Borders 32 201 233 36 182 218 35 175 210
Central 305 369 674 287 346 633 285 354 639
Dumfries and Galloway 99 430 529 107 449 556 108 411 519
Fife 242 570 812 233 580 813 231 589 820
Grampian 426 779 1,205 410 741 1,151 404 740 1,144
Highland 232 403 635 224 408 632 222 414 636
Lothian 664 1,173 1,837 615 1,093 1,708 553 915 1,468
Strathclyde: 2,349 3,607 5,956 2,313 3,691 6,004 2,134 3,912 6,046
Argyll and Bute 70 162 232 69 158 227 59 161 220
Ayr 350 596 946 346 621 967 321 623 944
Dumbarton 146 688 834 139 653 792 130 606 736
Glasgow 794 830 1,624 812 940 1,752 780 1,084 1,864
Lanark 573 681 1,254 547 684 1,231 512 683 1,195
Renfrew 416 650 1,066 400 635 1,035 332 755 1,087
Tayside 270 618 888 266 633 899 246 659 905
Orkney 40 27 67 39 27 66 38 28 66
Shetland 58 55 113 54 55 109 53 53 106
Western Isles 47 113 160 42 108 150 41 99 140
Scotland 4,764 8,345 13,109 4,626 8,313 12,939 4,350 8,349 12,699