§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which local education authorities have(a) devolved provision of school meals to individual schools, (b) contracted with private sector providers for the supply of school meals and (c) have done neither (a) nor (b). [59192]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 17 November 1998]: This information is not held centrally. Some local education authorities, for example Islington and Lambeth, are known to have already delegated school meals funding to schools, and others allow individual schools to request funding. Authorities were required under the Local Government Act 1988 to put school catering contracts out to tender, and as a result of doing so, some have contracted with private sector providers.