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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of children received free school meals in each of the last five years; and what proportion of children were entitled to free school meals in each of the last five years. [146348] Mr. Miliband: The information requested is given in the tables. Position in January each year--England _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Day Pupils2,3 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 3 Maintained nursery and primary schools1 school meal arrangements Number on roll 4,507,663 4,481,677 4,451,224 4,405,639 4,350,260 Number of pupils taking 690,321 671,486 631,638 616,625 604,911 free school meals4 Percentage of pupil staking 15.3 15.0 14.2 14.0 13.9 free school meals Number of pupils known to 853,020 821,521 784,976 754,511 731,611 be eligible for free meals5 Percentage of pupils known 18.9 18.3 17.6 17.1 16.8 to be eligible for free meals Maintained secondary schools1: school meal arrangements Number on roll 3,118,277 3,177,998 3,226,973 3,260,931 3,308,492 Number of pupils taking 367,795 368,303 353,469 354,256 349,777 free school meals4 Percentage of pupil staking 11.8 11.6 11.0 10.9 10.6 free school meals Number of pupils known to 527,339 523,630 509,676 486,353 478,915 be eligible for free meals Percentage of pupils known 16.9 16.5 15.8 14.9 14.5 to be eligible for free meals5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Includes middle schools as deemed. 2 Day pupils includes all full-time and part-time pupils who are solely or dually registered, excluding boarding pupils. See3 for 2003. 3 In 2003 boarding pupils are included. 4 Number of pupils taking a free school meal on the day of the Census in January. 5 Prior to 2001 figures relate to the number of pupils known to be eligible for a free school meal. From 2001 this definition was expanded to include only pupils who were known to be eligible for and claiming a free school meal. Source: Annual Schools' Census

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

416 c366-8W; 146348

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Free school meals School meals Take-up

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk