asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science by what amount the increase in the cost of a school meal from 25p to 30p will reduce the cost of the education budget of subsidising school meals; and how much it would be necessary to charge for each school meal to make the total receipts from charges equal to the cost of the education budget of providing school meals.
An increase in the school meals charge of 5p in September 1979 would reduce the net cost of the school meals service in England and Wales by £23 million—November 1977 prices— in 1979–80, or £35 million in a full year. Because changes in the amount of the charge affect the number of pupils entitled to free meals and also the number willing to pay, it would not be feasible under existing arrangements to eliminate the cost to the education budget of providing school meals by increasing charges.