asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make a statement on the provision of free
| Regional and Island Authorities | Number of Teachers | |||||||
| 1974* | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |||||
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | |
| Central | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Grampian | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| Highland | 209 | 43 | 47 | 18 | 58 | 21 | 85 | 20 |
| Western Isles | 142 | 27 | 144 | 27 | 154 | 31 | ||
| Lothian | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Strathclyde | 18 | 9 | 17 | 9 | 19 | 12 | 19 | 30 |
| Tayside | — | 2 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| * The 1974 figures are based on groupings of the education authorities which were in existence prior to local government reorganisation. | ||||||||
school milk from EEC funds, and, in particular, on the age range covered by the arrangements and on the financing arrangements;
(2) if he has issued guidance to local authorities on whether the free school milk being provided from EEC funds should be supplied to grant-aided and independent schools; and if he will make a statement.
The Community offers a subsidy of 4·83p per pint on all milk supplied free, or at a reduced charge, to all children in school up to a limit of 0·4 pint per child daily, provided that the member State makes a contribution of at least half of the EEC subsidy. Under these arrangements free milk is now available to all pupils in public primary and special schools in Scotland. In the current financial year the total expenditure, net of EEC subsidy, incurred by the education authorties as a result of the extension of free school milk to primary pupils not previously eligible will be met by the Government. In future financial years the expenditure will be reckonable for rate support grant in the ordinary way. Some local authorities supply free milk to pupils in fee-paying schools, but I have given no guidance to them on this subject.