§ Charlotte AtkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what progress is being made with introducing national nutritional standards for school meals and healthy eating initiatives in maintained schools; [79323]
(2) what guidance his Department issues to local education authorities regarding (a) the level of fat, (b) the proportion of sugar, (c) the amount of fibre, (d) the amount of fresh fruit and (e) the amount of fresh vegetables in the diet of schoolchildren; [79325]
(3) if he will make a statement on the impact of the Government's best value approach to local government on nutritional standards for school meals; [79326]
(4) to what nutritional guidelines local education authorities are required to adhere in delivering a school meals service to their school pupils. [79246]
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§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe consultation period forIngredients for Success has finished and the views we have received are helping us to draw up draft regulations setting out the standards. These will be the subject of a further consultation exercise. We are on target to introduce the new standards from Autumn 1999. Until then, local education authorities can decide their own nutritional guidelines for delivering a school meals service. The Government offer more general advice on healthy eating which applies to everyone over the age of five years. This is set out in The Balance of Good Health and Eight Guidelines for a Healthy Diet. We plan to issue further guidance to local education authorities and schools alongside the forthcoming regulations.
When the new standards take effect, local education authorities which provide meals will be under a duty to ensure that the standards are met and that prospective suppliers, selected in line with the best value legislation, can comply with them.