asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow currently receive family income supplement; what is the average weekly sum received by each family; and how many children in these families are entitled to free school meals as a result.

I regret that information is not available relating to Strathclyde nor to Greenock and Port Glasgow. However, in Scotland at April 1986, the latest date for which information is available, there were a total of 24,000 families in receipt of family income supplement and the average weekly amount in payment was f13–50. The number of school age children, all those over five years, was 33,000 and they would be eligible for free school meals.