Albert Jacob has succeeded in having local government charges on school canteens removed.

The issue was raised with Albert by the Kinross Primary School P&C.

Albert told State Parliament : “School canteens are non-profit organisations.

They already pay fees to the Western Australian School Canteens Association and to the Western Australian Council of State School Organisations.

“On top of this, P&C canteens at schools in my electorate are now finding that their local governments, through the provisions of the Food Act, are issuing bills for $240 a year. I believe in other electorates it is as high as $400.

“That is an awful lot of money for these P&C volunteer organisations.”

Health Minister Kim Hames said that the Food Act provided for councils to charge registration fees to schools that contracted their canteens to private firms.

Canteens operated by P&Cs were exempt from the requirement under the Act. But a big number of councils were taking the opportunity to charge.

He would get the head of his department to speak to the chief of the Department of Local Government to see whether there was a way to tell councils the charge was not appropriate.

If that did not work he would change the legislation to prevent P&Cs being charged.