A cabinet minister declared himself "horrified'' after learning that Essex County Council had ended school meal provision.
Commons leader Peter Hain was responding to Labour's Alan Hurst (Braintree) during exchanges on future parliamentary business.
Mr Hurst, a Southend solicitor and former councillor, said: "Just before Christmas, the Conservative-controlled Essex County Council decided to end provisions of schools meals to primary and secondary schools.''
He said: "One of the schools in my division estimates it will cost an extra £4,000 per annum to maintain this service privately. That is a school of 100 pupils,'' he said.
Mr Hain replied: "I am pretty horrified by the account you have given of what is happening in Essex."
Published Friday January 23, 2004
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