Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Free School Meals

Monday 16 January 2023 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Zarah Sultana proposed a Bill to ensure every child in England receives a hot, healthy meal daily.
  • The Government claims to have extended free school meals to more groups of children than any previous government, including Labour.
  • The Government is spending 1.6 billion annually on free school meals, aiming to target funding at the most needy.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Zarah Sultana Your Party Coventry South
Children & Families
Context

The MP notes that each month, 4 million children experience food insecurity and go to bed hungry. She references her own Bill to guarantee a hot, healthy meal daily for every child in England.

Question

Each month, 4 million children experience food insecurity, go to bed hungry and set off to school on an empty stomach. To tackle this injustice, my free school meals for all Bill would guarantee that every child in England had a hot, healthy meal each day. My Bill is due to get its Second Reading on Friday. Will the Minister back my Bill?

Answer from Nick Gibb

The Government have extended free school meals to more groups of children than any Government over the past century, including Labour Governments. This includes an extension to 85,000 students in further education colleges and a scheme for 1.25 million children in infant schools.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address whether he would support the Bill or not.

How: Extending Free School Meals To More Groups Of Children Than Any Government Over The Past Century

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Q2 Zarah Sultana Your Party Coventry South
Children & Families
Context

The MP notes that each month, 4 million children experience food insecurity and go to bed hungry. She references her own Bill to guarantee a hot, healthy meal daily for every child in England.

Question

Each month, 4 million children experience food insecurity, go to bed hungry and set off to school on an empty stomach. To tackle this injustice, my free school meals for all Bill would guarantee that every child in England had a hot, healthy meal each day. My Bill is due to get its Second Reading on Friday. Will the Minister back my Bill, or does he believe that protecting tax breaks for elite private schools is more important than feeding hungry children?

Answer from Nick Gibb

The Government have extended free school meals to more groups of children than any Government over the past century, including Labour Governments. This includes an extension to 85,000 students in further education colleges and a scheme for 1.25 million children in infant schools.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address whether he would support the Bill or not.

How: Extending Free School Meals To More Groups Of Children Than Any Government Over The Past Century

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Q3 Carol Monaghan SNP
Education Children & Families
Context

The Levelling Up Secretary suggested in October that extending free school meals would be a highly effective intervention. The Scottish Government have committed to universal free school meals for primary children.

Question

The Levelling Up Secretary said in October that extending free school meal provision would be the most timely, effective and targeted of all public health interventions that this Government could make. The Scottish Government have already committed to universal free school meals for primary children. Does the Minister agree with his colleague? If not, what targeted interventions would he make to tackle child hunger?

Answer from Nick Gibb

We are spending £1.6 billion a year on free school meals for children. We want to make sure that this funding is targeted at the most needy, which we are doing by increasing the number of children eligible from 1.7 million to 1.9 million pupils.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address whether he agrees with his colleague or propose alternatives.

How: Targeting Funding At The Most Needy

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