Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Secretary of State for Education on increasing the allowance of Universal Free School Meals from April 2022 in response to the impact of increasing rates of inflation on the cost of food.

The Department for Education spend around £600million per year ensuring around 1.3 million infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy in 2014.

The per meal rate of £2.34 per child per meal was increased in 2020-21. The funding rate for the 2022-23 will be published with the funding allocations in June.