Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws Excerpts

Friday 1st November 2013 Ministerial Corrections

[Mr Blunkett]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2013, Official Report, columns 602-3W, on free school meals, what plans his Department has to facilitate the availability of pupil premium to Key Stage 1 children and the schools they attend in subsequent years.

[Official Report, 25 October 2013, Vol. 569, c. 303-4W.]

Letter of correction from David Laws:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett) on 25 October 2013.

The full answer given was as follows:

[Mr Laws]

We are providing significant funding through the pupil premium to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged children and are committed to its continuation. As stated in my previous answer, our methodology for allocating the pupil premium in 2014-15 will not be affected by our policy to provide free school meals for all infant pupils.

We are considering the possible implications for how the pupil premium is allocated longer term. A number of local authorities such as Southwark, Newham, Durham and Islington are currently offering free school meals to their primary pupils whilst still submitting data used in the allocation of pupil premium. We will consider their experience and set out our proposals in due course.

The correct answer should have been:

[Mr Laws]

We are providing significant funding through the pupil premium to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged children and are committed to its continuation. As stated in my previous answer, our methodology for allocating the pupil premium in 2014-15 will not be affected by our policy to provide free school meals for all infant pupils.

We are considering the possible implications for how the pupil premium is allocated longer term. A number of local authorities such as Southwark, Newham, Durham and Islington have offered free school meals to their primary pupils whilst still submitting data used in the allocation of pupil premium. We will consider their experience and set out our proposals in due course.