Where the cuts could come
Sir: In a discussion of cuts in education expenditure (22 August) Dr Rhodes Boyson
mentions a suggested ninepence increase in school meal prices to 2s 6d a day, which would cover their economic cost, to save £35 million a year. As far as the national economy is concerned this would not be a saving but merely a transfer of cost from the education budget to the consumer.
Those who believe passionately in pay- ment at the point of consumption should reflect on the fact that workers who receive a 3s Od daily luncheon voucher are there- by subsidised to the extent of approximately Is Od per voucher as a result of an anoma- lous tax concession. While this situation remains it is unreasonable to quibble over a school meals subsidy of the order of ninepence.
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