§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list(a) the number of families and (b) the number of children (i) eligible and (ii) claiming free school meals for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. DunnData on the number of pupils receiving free school meals in England since 1979 are available in the Department's annual school meals census, copies of which are available in the Library.
The number of children eligible to receive free meals was included in the October 1987 census, but this information for previous years and the number of families eligible has not been collected by the Department.