To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many schools are participating in the national school fruit scheme; and how many deliveries are made per week to these schools. (83658)

There are now 16,413 schools (98.9 per cent. of eligible schools) participating in the school fruit and vegetable scheme, and nearly 2,000,000 children are receiving a free portion of fruit or vegetable every school day.

The variety of storage facilities available in schools means we have to deliver frequently to ensure the produce supplied does not deteriorate. When the scheme was introduced schools received three deliveries per week. As the scheme has developed we have managed to reduce the frequency of deliveries to five per fortnight for the vast majority of schools.