[Report 1948] / School Medical Officer of Health, Manchester.

  • Manchester (England). Council.
Date:
1948
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1948] / School Medical Officer of Health, Manchester. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    68/84 (page 68)
    overheads the Ministry first notified a provisional unit cost figure of 5-75d. It was clear that the expenditure on the overheads was running at a higher rate than the figure suggested by the Ministry, and the position became a matter of some concern to the Committee and received very careful attention. Analysis of the costing figures and consultations with representatives of the Ministry elicited the fact that in the Ministry’s opinion the high rate of expenditure on overheads was due mainly to the cost of salaries and wages. Some reductions o staff were made and economies were achieved during the school holiday periods by reducing the hours which the staff were required to be in attendance. Negotiations with the Ministry continued, and in the end the unit cost figure was fixed at 6-65d. and, subject to any observations of the District Auditor, the expenditure on overheads has been brought within this figure and will attract grant at the rate of 100 per cent. (9) Conclusion During the course of the year it became apparent that the School Meals Service, having passed through a phase of rapid and substantial expansion, had reached a stage when the progress made needed to be consolidated and some degree of reorganisation was desirable. The newly introduced unit cost system required a detailed revision and strengthening of the costing arrangements, consultations had been started with Trade Union representatives on the question of staffing canteens and the Committee’s policy to secure competitive quotations for all foodstuffs needed to be implemented as Ministry of Food regu¬ lations permitted. As the report is written some time after the close of the year to which it refers, it can be reported that some progress has been made in carrying out the necessary reorganisation. J. K. ELLIOT, Deputy Chief Education Officer. APPENDIX I Units of the Service in Operation and the Number of Meals ServecJ to Pupils, 23rd March, 1948. Number of Meals Served on March 2jrd, Designation Self-Contained Canteens Primary Schools Secondary Schools .. Special Schools Nursery Schools Canteens for Dining Oni Primary Schools Secondary Schools . . Special Schools Canteen Centres Outside Caterers Total lumber of 1948 Units Free Fart Full Totals Payment Payment 6 119 27 1,037 1,183 17 275 35 4,577 4,887 2 32 3 243 278 3 10 2 184 196 ^ : 140 2,619 679 15,155 18,453 19 358 72 2,038 2,468 5 82 _ 290 372 35 2,405 672 5,588 8,665 3 88 15 282 385 230 5,988 1,505 29,394 36,887 I