§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the number of children entitled to free school meals in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. FallonSince the implementation of the 1986 Social Security Act in 1988, only children whose families are in receipt of income support and those children who are themselves eligible for income support are entitled to receive free school meals. Prior to this local authorities had discretionary powers to provide free school meals and a variety of schemes existed. Consequently, it is not possible to give the number of children entitled to free meals before this date.
A total of 821,373 free school meals were taken in maintained schools in England on the census date in January 1991.