Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Vulnerable Children

Monday 13 September 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministers are meeting to discuss the success of the holiday activity fund.
  • Good progress has been made on the digitalisation of Healthy Start vouchers.
  • The Department is supporting the Department for Education's family hubs work.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Robert Halfon Con
Children & Families
Context

The Secretary of State for Education is being questioned about ongoing discussions on supporting vulnerable children, especially in light of recent initiatives and progress.

Question

What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on support for vulnerable children. Ministers are meeting this week to discuss the success of the holiday activity fund, and good progress has been made on the digitalisation of Healthy Start vouchers.

Answer from Therese Coffey

Ministers are meeting this week to discuss the success of the holiday activity fund, and good progress has been made on the digitalisation of Healthy Start vouchers. We will continue the ministerial meetings on developing support for families and family hubs.

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Q2 Robert Halfon Con
Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The MP acknowledges the Secretary of State's work on Universal Credit during the pandemic and inquires about future financial support for families. He also asks if existing funds from the sugar levy can be used to expand breakfast clubs.

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for her remarkable work on universal credit during the pandemic. With the forthcoming changes to UC, will my right hon. Friend continue to target financial support on families who need it most, and will she work with the Department for Education to use existing funds from the sugar levy to expand breakfast clubs for disadvantaged children? We know that breakfast provision significantly increases educational attainment.

Answer from Therese Coffey

I am conscious, especially with my right hon. Friend's leadership of the Select Committee on Education, of how passionately he feels about this particular area. My Department is supporting the Department for Education's family hubs work, which includes investing up to £24 million to continue our national school breakfast programme over the next two years, and that includes the recently announced additional £20 million investment from the Treasury's shared outcomes fund.

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