HC Deb 15 July 1992 vol 211 cc721-2W
Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish a table showing(a) expenditure and (b) the average price of school meals in each year since 1976 in cash and constant prices.

Mr. Forth

The latest year for which information on actual expenditure on school meals is available is 1989–90. The available information is as follows:

Net expenditure on school meals and milk1
Cash 2 Real terms
£ million £ million
1975–76 318 1,065
1976–77 382 1,127
1977–78 365 947
1978–79 388 908
1979–80 422 846
1980–81 397 673
1981–82 397 614
1982–83 411 593
1983–84 427 589
1984–85 432 567
1985–86 435 541
1986–87 460 554
1987–88 443 506
1988–89 405 432
1989–90 382 382

The Department has collected figures for the average price of school meals for 1990 and 1991 only. The available information3 is as follows:

1990 1991
Primary 68p 72p
Secondary 72p 66p
Special 68p 74p
1 Recurrent expenditure, less income from paid meals and EC grants.
2 Figures for earlier years have been converted to 1989–90 prices using the GDP (market prices) deflator.
3 Figures represent the average charge in England (shown in pence) for a standard meal in schools operating dining centres.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the latest figures showing the numbers of children taking(a) paid school meals and (b) free school meals in (i) primary, (ii) secondary and (iii) special schools; and what proportion they make up of (1) pupils present and (2) pupils on the school roll in each case.

College Title Name Date of appointment
Kingshurst Principal Valerie Bragg January 1988
Macmillan Principal John Paddick January 1989
Djanogly Principal Matt Andrews September 1988
Dixon's Principal John Lewis September 1989
Leigh Principal Virginia Waterhouse January 1990
Emmanuel Principal George McHugh September 1989
Harris Principal Lyndon Jones January 1990
Bacon's Principal Peter Jenkins September 1990

Mr. Forth

The numbers and percentages of pupils on roll taking school meals are shown in table A15 of "Statistics of Education: Schools 1991", copies of which are available in the Library.

Information on the numbers of pupils present in schools on any given day is not collected centrally.