asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make a statement about the Government's policy on school meals charges.

As the local authority associations are being told today, for the purposes of rate support grant next year the Government are planning on the basis of a rise of 5p—to 30p—in the school meal charge at the start of the academic year 1979–80, with the usual remission arrangements for poorer families. Even after this increase, the first for two years, the subsidy from public funds will cover nearly half the total cost of the school meals service.