The Provision of School Lunches (Disapplication of the Requirement to Charge) (Scotland) Order 2008

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Section 57 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”) provides, among other things, for the Scottish Ministers by order to amend, repeal, revoke or disapply any legislation that they consider prevents local authorities from exercising their power under section 20(1) of the 2003 Act to do anything which the authority considers is likely to promote or improve the well-being of its area, people in that area or both of these. The section 20(1) power is known as the local authorities' ‘power to advance well-being’. The powers of the Scottish Ministers under section 57 may be exercised in relation to all local authorities, a class or classes of local authority, or a particular local authority or local authorities.

Section 53 (provision of school meals) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (“the 1980 Act”) enables education authorities (councils) to provide food and drink to pupils and makes provision concerning the circumstances in which school lunches are provided free of charge.

Article 3 of this Order disapplies section 53(2) of the 1980 Act in relation to pupils in Primary 1, 2 and 3 in schools managed by councils. Therefore councils may, using their power to advance well-being under section 20 of the 2003 Act, provide school lunches, free of charge, to all pupils in Primary 1, 2 and 3 of their schools, rather than just to those pupils who are entitled to school lunches free of charge under section 53 of the 1980 Act.

Article 4 revokes the Provision of School Lunches (Disapplication of the Requirement to Charge) (Scotland) Order 2007. That order was similar to this, but only applied to 5 councils and ceased to have effect on 30th June 2008.