asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local authorities have raised the price of school meals since May 1979; and what is the average rate of increase since that date.

Until April 1980 and the coming into force of section 22 of the Education Act 1980, school meal charges were fixed nationally rather than by individual LEAs. Since then, the widespread introduction of cash cafeterias rules out comparisons in the secondary sector. However, according to the autumn 1981 school meals census, 89 English LEAs had increased their charge for fixed price primary meals, on average, by 31 per cent. to 46p.