when in any area school children are suffering from lack of food, and voluntary funds are not forthcoming to meet their needs, the Local Education Authority _may_ provide food out of the rates; in Scotland the School Board _shall_ make such provision. Footnote 546: See ante, p. 48. Footnote 547: 8 Edward VII., c. 63, sec. 3 (2). Footnote 548: _Ibid._, sec. 6 (1). Footnote 549: _Ibid._, sec. 6 (2). Footnote 550: _Ibid._ No report has yet been published by the Scottish Education Department as to the action taken either by the School Boards or by voluntary agencies in the work of the provision of meals. As far as we can gather from the reports of the Chief Inspectors, though several Boards co-operate with voluntary agencies and provide apparatus and service, in only some half-dozen towns, _e.g._, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Govan, Leith, Perth, has the system of providing food out of the rates been adopted to any extent.[551] The increase in expenditure on the provision of meals, etc., for necessitous children under the Act of 1908 is shown by the following table:--[552] Footnote 551: During the coal strike in the spring of 1912, some Boards in the Fife district took action under section 6 and provided free meals. (Report of the Chief Inspector for the Southern Division for 1912, p. 11.) Footnote 552: Report of the Committee of Council on Education in Scotland, 1912-13, p. 4. Providing Food, Clothing or Total. Accomodation other expenditure for Meals, (for necessitous Sec. 3(2) children) Sec. 6 1908-9 (Part of L 67 L 11 L 78 year only.) 1909-10 290 921 1,211 1910-11 3,777 3,768 7,545 1911-12 4,586 3,172 7,758