HC Deb 19 April 2004 vol 420 c40W
Mr. Watson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what studies his Department has undertaken to examine the effects of providing(a) free school lunches and (b) free school breakfasts. [165030]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

The Department for Education and Skills has not undertaken studies to examine the effects of providing free school lunches and free school breakfasts.

This Department, together with the Department of Health (DoH), is jointly funding a Food in Schools (FiS) programme. The DoH strand comprises eight projects which include breakfast clubs. Good practice identified through FiS will help schools promote a clear and consistent message about diet and nutrition.

Mr. Watson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children receive(a) free school lunches and (b) free school breakfasts, broken down by local education authority. [165071]

Alan Johnson

The available data on free school lunches have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Information relating; to free school breakfasts is not collected by the Department.