As Prof Asmal would have said, the hon Boinamo has transmogrified into the hon Coetzee. The reply is as follows: In terms of agreed policy for 2007-08, the National School Nutrition Programme provides school meals on all or some school days for about six million learners at 18 000 primary schools throughout the country at a budget of around R1 billion.
My department works closely with the provincial departments in the implementation of this important programme. We have indeed taken note and account of the reports of the Auditor-General, and various measures have been taken to improve accountability. These include the establishment of internal audit procedures within departments of education, and the development of a regular reporting system in order for us to ensure that we identify irregularities and shortfalls speedily. We are also working together to develop solutions to challenges that are identified, and these are discussed and further developed at the regular interprovincial meetings which are held on a quarterly basis or, when required, more regular basis.
At our second quarterly meeting of this year between the national department and provincial programme managers, we developed a set of performance indicators and agreed on financial reporting procedures, as well as on the use of the existing business plan template on a more strict basis in order to ensure that we correct the irregularities that have been identified in some of the departments of education. I have been asked to extend this scheme to all school days and to provide the scheme to secondary schools. I have, at this point, not had any approach which asks that we should provide meals during school holidays.