Education Recovery

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Baroness Wheatcroft

Monday 7th June 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wheatcroft (CB)]

My Lords, if the Government intended to be so parsimonious with spending to help children recover the schooling lost during the pandemic, might it have been more sensible to have given Sir Kevan a budget to work with? Can the Minister say how much the Government are prepared to spend and whether they will note the campaign by Marcus Rashford to increase the amount?

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, as I have outlined, money for recovery is the subject of the spending review, which we hope will be a multi-year review this time. In addition to the funds I have outlined, there was a commitment for the core schools budget to go up by £2.6 billion for 2020-21 and by £2.2 billion for 2021-22. All this is welcome extra money for schools, but no one underestimates the tasks that schools are doing both educationally and pastorally at the moment.

Covid-19 Summer Food Fund

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Baroness Wheatcroft

Wednesday 17th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge [V]]

My Lords, as I have outlined, because families cannot buy at the scale that schools can to provide free school meals, the vouchers are at £15 to provide lunches rather than the £11.50 normally allocated to schools. There is an NHS “Eat Well” guide, which we encourage parents to look at; there are also, of course, the school food standards and the Change4Life healthy eating recipes. There are resources out there for parents to look at for a healthy diet. In addition, in 2016 we began the child obesity strategy to ensure that children are eating a healthier diet.

[Baroness Wheatcroft (Non-Afl) [V]]

My Lords, the Minister says, rightly, that the focus should be on the children. Can she please explain to the House how that was reflected in the decision that the Government took and stood by—until Marcus Rashford intervened—that they would not extend the scheme through the holiday?

[Baroness Berridge [V]]

My Lords, as noble Lords will be aware, the free school meals system has normally operated only in term time, except for the holiday activity clubs, which, as I outlined, also include food. We are living in unprecedented times for everyone, including hard-pressed families, and I am delighted that the Government have announced this provision. Ordinarily, however, the provision of free school meals is during term time and not the holidays. This is a Covid school food fund.