§ Mr. AdleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what independent assessment has been made of the standards of school catering since the introduction of local authority competitive tendering.
§ Mr. ForthWe are aware of no study on the effects of compulsory competitive tendering on the standards of school catering. CCT should represent an opportunity for improving the quality of school meals as it places greater emphasis on specifying the standards which services are expected to meet. This was recognised in the report "Nutritional Guidelines for Schools" published by the Caroline Walker Trust on 24 November.