§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish figures showing the number and proportion of children receiving free school meals in 1989 and 1990 as a percentage of the numbers of children in attendance.
§ Mr. FallonThe number of children in maintained schools in England receiving free school meals on the census date in January 1989 and 1990 were 781,362 and 764,641 respectively. The figures represent 11 per cent. of the total pupils on roll for each year.
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the latest figures for the number and proportion of children who are in families on supplementary benefit/income support who are not taking up their entitlement to free school meals.
§ Mr. FallonPupils are entitled to free school meals only if they or their families are in receipt of income support, not supplementary benefit. In May 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, 1,010,815 children aged between five and 16 were in families in England who received income support. The take-up of free school meals in English schools on the census date in January 1990 was 764,641.