To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on providing fresh fruit in schools for four to six-year-olds in each financial year since 1997-98 for which figures are available. (162243)

I have been asked to reply.

The lottery provided £16 million towards the original pilots of the National School Fruit Scheme between 2000 and 2002. Lottery funding also provided £42 million to support scaling-up of the original pilots across five Government regions between 2002 and 2004.

The Department of Health spent £0.75 million in 2001-02 and £0.3 million in 2002-03 on administering and evaluating the National School Fruit Scheme pilots.

The national rollout of the scheme to all LEA infant, primary and special schools across England was completed at the end of 2004 and in the year 2004-05 the Department of Health spent £23.66 million on the scheme. In 2005-06 the scheme, now fully funded by the Department of Health, cost £37.41 million and in 2006-07 £36.21million.