§ Mr. ClayTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children will lose entitlement to free school meals and free welfare milk after the Social Security Act 1986 is fully implemented in April 1988.
§ Mr. ScottUnder the Social Security Act 1986 it is estimated that about 550,000 children will cease to receive free school meals as a result of the replacement of family income supplement by family credit and the abolition of local education authority discretionary schemes; about 200,000 children will cease to receive free welfare milk as a result of the replacement of family income supplement by family credit and the abolition of the low income scheme; there will be about 950,000 children in family credit families who will receive cash help in place of free school meals and free welfare milk.
§ Mr. ClayTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what compensation is allowed for in the family credit child rates for the loss of free school meals and free welfare milk; and how this is calculated.
§ Mr. ScottI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 5 November at columns866–7.
The latest information from local education authorities indicates an average charge for a fixed price school meal of 65.6p. The £2.55 included in the child credit rates is rather more than the weekly equivalent of this average charge when spread over the whole year.