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Borstal Institutions (Food Costs)

Volume 466: debated on Friday 1 July 1949

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asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weekly cost of feeding young persons in Borstal Institutions; and whether he has any comparable figures for approved schools and remand homes.

As regards the first part of the Question the most recent available figure is for the year ended 31st March, 1948, and in that year the weekly cost per head of feeding inmates of Borstal Institutions was 6s. 6d. The allowance authorised for feeding children in approved schools is 13s. per head per week. Borstals and approved schools are, of necessity, administered on an entirely different basis and the figures given above would require considerable adjustment to make them strictly comparable. For example, the figure for Borstal Institutions does not include the value of home-grown food. Similar information is not available for remand homes, and I do not think that I would be justified in asking the individual local authorities responsible for remand homes to supply it.