§ Mr. JanmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, following his statement on 1 November,Official Report, columns 605–10, the Government will now increase expenditure on the AIDS research programmes conducted by the Medical Research Council.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerI greatly welcome the enthusiasm and sense of urgency with which the council and the scientific community have embarked on the directed and strategic programmes of AIDS research. In view of the particular importance that the Government attach to the directed programme, I am making available £8 million in 1990–91 and £8.5 million in 1991–92 for its continuation. This will enable the United Kingdom to continue to play its part in responding to the AIDS emergency by
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§ Mr. ButcherThe available information is given in the table:
Average price for a fixed charge meal1 Primary schools Secondary schools Cash (pence) Real Terms2 (pence) Cash (pence) Real Terms2 (pence) 19793 30 53 n/a — 19804 35 61 n/a — 1980 43 64 n/a — 1981 46 62 n/a — 1982 50 63 n/a — 1983 52 63 n/a — 1984 55 63 n/a — 1985 59 64 63 68 1986 61 64 63 66 1987 64 64 67 67 1 The charges for September 1979 and February 1980 applied to all paid meals in maintained schools. Under Section 22 of the Education Act 1980 LEAs were given the power to set their own charges for meals. The figures in the table are national averages based on the number of paid meals provided by each authority. 2 The figures for the earlier years hve been converted into 1987–88 real terms using the Gross Domestic Products (Market Prices) Deflator. 3 September. 4 February.
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing how much expenditure on school meals has changed in cash and real terms in each year between 1979 and the latest date available for England.
§ Mr. ButcherThe information requested is given in the table:
contributing significantly to worldwide research into vaccines against AIDS and anti-viral drugs for those infected. I shall consider further the case for increase in the council's strategic programme on the basis of advice from the advisory board for the research councils later this year.