Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Universal Infant Free School Meals

25 April 2023 · 6 other contributors · 4,144 words

Opened by Steve Brine Con Winchester

Responding minister: Nick Gibb

EducationEconomyEnvironment

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Steve Brine raised concerns about universal infant free school meals in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Headteachers in Winchester and other areas face a funding gap for providing free school meals for infants due to inflation and rising costs.
  • Food inflation, energy bills, and labour costs are causing schools to offer smaller or less nutritious meals, with some switching to packed lunches to save on energy.
  • Wholesalers are fulfilling public sector contracts at a loss, and many schools are subsidising meal costs from their budgets.

Key requests to Government

The Government should reform school meal funding to address inflationary pressures and commit to ongoing reviews that adjust for inflation. The Minister was asked if he would update the House on any moves afoot to reform school meal funding, simplify the equitable flow of money from Government to schools, and promote a more diverse marketplace in school food.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Steve Brine Con Winchester

Headteachers in Winchester and across the country are struggling to meet the cost of providing free school meals for infants due to a funding gap. Food inflation, rising energy bills, and increased labour costs have resulted in some schools offering smaller or less nutritious lunches, while others have switched to packed lunches to save on energy costs. Wholesalers are fulfilling public sector contracts at a loss, and many schools are subsidising the cost of meals from their budgets.

Other contributors (6)
  • Alan Mak Con Havant

    He thanked his hon. Friend for supporting a campaign to increase funding for school breakfast clubs and expressed agreement that these complement the provision of school lunches.

  • Carol Monaghan

    Over 80% of the public support free school meals for children receiving universal credit, but only seven out of ten families on this benefit currently receive UIFSM. The Minister needs to address this issue given current high food inflation.

  • Janet Daby Lab Lewisham East

    She agreed with the hon. Member that school meal funding needs to be made fit for the future, emphasizing her personal understanding of the importance of good-quality meals for children. The Government are reviewing the policy, but MPs need a timeline for decisions and changes that will improve the situation for children across constituencies.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    He commended the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward the issue of universal infant free school meals and highlighted the pressure on headmasters and parents struggling to provide meals and uniforms.

  • Munira Wilson Lib Dem Twickenham

    She congratulated the hon. Member on securing the debate and raised concerns about proper funding for the Mayor of London's announcement to roll out free school meals, noting potential financial losses for schools. The Liberal Democrats introduced the UIFSM policy in 2014, but since then funding has only increased by 11p, leading to a gap in school meals provision. Schools are being forced to choose between cutting teaching budgets and lowering food standards.

  • Sharon Hodgson Lab Washington and Gateshead South

    She pointed out that if meal funding had risen with inflation since 2014, it would now be £2.97 per meal instead of the current £2.41, indicating a shortfall of 19% or £150 per child annually. She sought clarification regarding the sustainability of the £2.65 per meal funding proposed by the Mayor of London's team, reassured that funding would be found and sustained. Healthy meals provided by schools reduce obesity rates; in London boroughs extending UIFSM to all primary children, reception year obesity rates fell by 9.3% and year 6 rates by 5.6%. Only 1% of packed lunches meet the school food standards.

Government Response

Nick Gibb

It is a pleasure to serve under your beady eye, Mr Gray. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Winchester on securing this important but short debate on school food. The Government are committed to continuing to support school breakfasts and have invested up to £30 million in the national school breakfast programme, supporting up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas. This year, the Government are investing over £200 million in the holiday activities and food programme, reaching over 685,000 children and young people last summer. The universal infant free school meal policy, introduced by a Conservative-led Government in 2014, is a vital component of ensuring pupils are well nourished and can concentrate and learn. Officials hold regular meetings with other government departments and representatives of the food industry to discuss issues including public sector food supply. Funding for the free school meal factor in the national funding formula is increasing by 2.4% for 2023-24, with an additional £2 billion awarded by the Chancellor in the autumn statement for each of the '23-24 and '24-25 academic years. Schools will receive core funding increases to deal with inflation impacts on their budgets. We spend about £600 million a year ensuring that 1.25 million infants enjoy free, healthy meals at lunchtime, which is funded through direct grants to schools. The Government acknowledge the impact of transport costs and staff wage rises on meal provision costs and are actively looking at areas for improvement. All school meals under UIFSM adhere to school food standards to ensure healthy and nutritious food. In recognition of cost pressures, additional funding has been distributed through a schools supplementary grant. Individual schools determine their budgets for meal provision by considering central funding alongside parental payments. The Government provide resources to help state schools buy goods and services efficiently and in compliance with regulations. Schools are responsible for entering into supply contracts accordingly.

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