Children’s School Meals

Lord Tomlinson Excerpts

Monday 27th March 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

Just to make sure that I have not confused the House, levels of obesity and children who are overweight rose very sharply during lockdown. Levels have come back, depending on the age group, to pretty much where they were pre lockdown—I just say that for clarity. I cannot say when the standards might be reviewed, but they are designed to give those in schools, and those supplying schools with school food, enough flexibility to make choices to give children healthy meals. As we heard in an earlier Question, there is also an opportunity here to make sure that we keep waste to an absolute minimum, so that the investment can go into the quality of food for children.

[Lord Tomlinson (Lab)]

But is it not true that in the days of the coalition Government, the regulations on school meals were weakened, particularly in 2014? That weakening of the regulations allowed much more sugar to be added to some of the school meals.

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

The regulations were updated in 2014—

[Lord Tomlinson (Lab)]

Weakened!

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

—but I do not accept that they were weakened. As I say, there is sensible flexibility to allow schools to respond to their local community.

Young People: Personal Finances

Lord Tomlinson Excerpts

Thursday 7th February 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

I note the noble Lord’s comments. We have met with a wide range of SEN groups in formulating our plans. Appropriate adjustments will be made to exams for pupils in that category.

[Lord Tomlinson]

Does the Minister agree with me that, on the basis of the Question from the noble Lord, Lord Kennedy, and with the emphasis that he has placed on the continuing development of these financial skills, one day a young person who might aspire to become Prime Minister might know the difference between debt and deficit?

[Lord Nash]

I would like to think that day has arrived but I note the noble Lord’s comments.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Lord Tomlinson Excerpts

Monday 7th March 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hill of Oareford]

I accept completely my noble friend’s point about the element of transport costs, particularly in rural areas where it makes up a proportionately larger amount of the costs a young person might have. It remains the case that local authorities have a statutory duty to make arrangements—either through provision or funding—for transport for those groups. As she will know, currently the discretionary fund operated by colleges does not allow payment for transport. While one does not want to get to a scheme whereby all the discretionary fund goes on transport, or to relieve local authorities of that statutory duty, nevertheless we are looking at the point she makes about the importance of transport, particularly in rural areas.

[Lord Tomlinson]

Is the Minister aware that there is no golden rule that said you had to make these cuts in educational maintenance allowance—that it is a matter of judgment? Is he further aware that it is our view, which we suspect will be shared by the majority of the people in this country on 7 May, that in exercising that judgment the Government got it right—oh! I mean that the Government got it wrong—and that this side of the House is correct?

[Lord Hill of Oareford]

My Lords, I will pass on the endorsement by the noble Lord. I fully accept that it is about judgment. Overall in the settlement got by the Department for Education, particularly on the schools side, we managed to maintain cash flat per pupil and to fund a pupil premium. One would always like to have more but I accept the point about judgment. The Government made the judgment across the piece that the priority was to cut the deficit and get those interest payments down. In due course, we will be happy to be judged on that judgment.