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22 Jan 2008 : Column 1901W—continued

This equated to an increase in take up by some 86,000 families. Changes to the FRS survey in 2005-6 meant it was not possible to establish a satisfactory baseline and trajectory using that measure. In November 2006, the target was finalised using the then Department for Education and Skills (DFES) survey of parents’ use of childcare series 2005 to 2008 to set the baseline and measure progress. The finalised target being

Free School Meals: Hampshire

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the take-up of free school meals in (a) Portsmouth, (b) Southampton and (c) Hampshire local education authorities was in each of the last five years; what the estimated number of children eligible was in each year; and what steps he is taking to increase the take-up. [179746]


22 Jan 2008 : Column 1902W

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is given in the following tables:

Take-up of free school meals in Portsmouth, Southampton and Hampshire local authorities 2003 to 2007 at January each year —table A: maintained nursery and primary schools
Number on roll Pupils taking free school meals Percentage taking free school meals Number known to be eligible for free meals Percentage known to be eligible for free meals

2003

Portsmouth

15,200

2,100

13.9

2,600

16.8

Southampton

17,200

3,000

17.7

3,700

21.7

Hampshire

101,000

7,100

7.0

8,700

8.6

2004

Portsmouth

14,800

2,200

14.9

2,800

18.6

Southampton

16,600

3,000

18.1

3,700

22.0

Hampshire

99,900

7,400

7.4

9,200

9.2

2005

Portsmouth

14,500

2,000

13.5

2,600

17.9

Southampton

16,400

2,700

16.4

3,600

22.2

Hampshire

98,500

6,900

7.0

8,800

8.9

2006

Portsmouth

14,200

1,800

12.5

2,300

16.2

Southampton

16,100

2,700

17.0

3,400

21.3

Hampshire

97,400

6,500

6.7

8,300

8.6

2007

Portsmouth

13,900

1,700

12.2

2,200

15.7

Southampton

16,100

2,500

15.8

3,400

20.9

Hampshire

96,300

6,000

6.3

8,200

8.6



22 Jan 2008 : Column 1903W
Table B: maintained secondary schools
Number on roll Pupils taking free school meals Percentage taking free school meals Number known to be eligible for free meals Percentage known to be eligible for free meals

2003

Portsmouth

10,200

1,000

10.0

1,500

14.9

Southampton

12,200

1,500

12.0

2,000

16.6

Hampshire

72,600

3,200

4.3

4,600

6.3

2004

Portsmouth

10,200

1,100

10.7

1,500

15.1

Southampton

12,300

1,600

12.7

2,100

17.1

Hampshire

72,600

3,500

4.8

4,900

6.7

2005

Portsmouth

9,900

1,000

10.2

1,500

15.3

Southampton

12,000

1,300

10.8

2,000

17.0

Hampshire

72,600

3,300

4.6

4,900

6.8

2006

Portsmouth

9,900

900

9.4

1,500

15.2

Southampton

11,500

1,300

11.6

2,000

17.0

Hampshire

72,700

3,500

4.9

4,800

6.6

2007

Portsmouth

9,800

800

8.4

1,400

14.7

Southampton

11,300

1,300

11.5

1,800

16.3

Hampshire

71,900

3,200

4.5

4,600

6.4

Source:
School Census 2003-07

Both tables include middle schools as deemed and dually registered and boarding pupils. Totals are rounded to the nearest 100. Figures for 2007, and accompanying notes, were published as part of the Statistical First Release: Schools and Pupils in England: January 2007, which can be found at:

Increasing take-up of school lunches is a priority for this Department and for the School Food Trust (SFT). The SFT has a target to increase take-up of school lunches, from a 2005-06 baseline, by 4 percentage points by March 2008 and by 10 percentage points by autumn 2009. In addition, school lunch take-up is now an indicator in both the Local Government National Indicator Set, from which local authorities and their partners will agree their own targets in Local Area Agreements; and Public Service Agreement 12—‘Improve the health and well-being of children and young people’—of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.

Nursery Schools: Teesside

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many children in (a) Teesside and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency are in receipt of 15 hour entitlement to free nursery care; [179617]

(2) what estimates he has made of the number of children in (a) Teesside and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency who will be affected by the funding allocated to improve nursery schools in the region. [179618]

Beverley Hughes: All three and four-year-olds in England are able to access 12Â1/2 hours a week of free early education for 38 weeks of the year. The available information on the number of part-time funded places filled by three and four-year-olds in (a) Teesside and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency is shown in the following table.

Local authority area Three-year-olds Four-year-olds

Middlesbrough

1,700

1,600

Redcar and Cleveland

1,500

1,500

Stockton-on-Tees

2,000

2,100

Teesside

6,200

6,200

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency area

1,000

930


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