THE number of Bolton families claiming free school meals has dropped dramatically over the past few years.

More than 1,000 children have left the register for local authority controlled schools over a two-year period, with several hundred more expected to join them.

Councillors say the drop off is proof that the Bolton economy is starting to pick up and that more and more people are getting jobs.

Only families on income support can claim the free dinners, so they say there is a direct link between school meals and unemployment.

Education Chairman Cllr Don Eastwood said: "The savings in free school meals is good news. It indicates an improvement in the economy of this town over the past two years."

Savings

The fall is also good news for schools, which benefit from any savings from the annual bill that is around normally £3.5 million.

From January 1996 to January 1998, the number of children claiming free school meals fell from 8,000 to 7,000 - saving the council about £200,000.

Figures for 1998/99 have not been completed, but the council are expecting a further few hundred children will have stopped claiming and there will be another drop next year.

The fall off has affected the amount of education grant Bolton receives from the Government because free school meals are an indicator of how much schools need to help disadvantaged children.

But so far it has not been great enough to take Bolton out of the poverty band they need to be in to apply for grants to tackle pockets of economic deprivation.

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