To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities offer grants to parents to purchase uniforms; and which local authorities offered such grants in 1997. (296135)

Local authorities have a discretionary power to provide school clothing grants or to help with the cost of school clothing in cases of financial hardship. Local authorities that choose to offer such grants set their own criteria for eligibility.

The Department does not collect data on which local authorities provide school clothing grants.