Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Food Standards in Schools

Monday 1 November 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 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government has robust regulation in place around food standards in schools since 2014.
  • School governors are responsible for ensuring compliance with food standards.
  • Parents can make a complaint if they feel standards are not being met.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Selous Con
Education Environment
Context

The question arises from concerns about food standards enforcement in school environments.

Question

What plans does the government have to introduce a mechanism to help enforce food standards in schools?

Answer from Will Quince

We already have robust regulation in place around food standards in schools, established by the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. The regulations apply to all food provided in schools, making compliance mandatory for all maintained schools, including academies and free schools.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked about plans to introduce a mechanism to enforce standards; the answer referred to existing regulation without mentioning new enforcement mechanisms.

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Q2 Andrew Selous Con
NHS Education
Context

The question stems from research by Jamie Oliver's Bite Back 2030 foundation, which indicates that school food standards are often not upheld.

Question

Children's health is so important to their life chances, so the research of the young people at Jamie Oliver's Bite Back 2030 foundation is very concerning: it shows that school food standards are routinely not maintained. What can we do to ensure that they are upheld?

Answer from Will Quince

School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure that the school is meeting its obligations. Should parents feel that standards are not being met at their child's school, they can make a complaint using the school's own complaints procedure. My hon. Friend is a strong advocate for healthy and nutritious school meals; I would be happy to meet him to discuss the issue further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question sought specific actions beyond existing governance structures; the answer provided general guidelines without concrete measures or timelines.

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