§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what were the proportions of pupils receiving free school meals in every year since 1979–80;
(2) what were the proportions of pupils receiving school meals in every year since 1979–80.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe proportion of pupils receiving school meals and free school meals in maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools since 1979 is given in the table. There was no school meals census in 1985.
Proportion of pupils receiving a school meal Proportion of pupils receiving a free school meal 1979 64 12 1980 48 10 1981 49 11 1982 49 14 1983 51 16 1984 51 17 1986 49 18 1987 50 18 1988 47 12 1989 43 11
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the gross and net costs of restoring the right to free school meals to those children who lost that right through the Social Security Act 1986.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthIt is not possible to estimate the cost of reintroducing the wide variety of discretionary schemes which existed prior to the implementation of the Social Security Act 1986.