Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons Northern Ireland is not included in the Government's plans to increase the threshold for free school meals for universal credit claimants.

Education policy is fully devolved in Northern Ireland, and it is for Northern Ireland to decide which of their pupils should be eligible for free school meals.

In April 2017, the Northern Ireland Executive, prior to its suspension, launched a consultation on eligibility for free school meals under universal credit. This new criterion was then introduced with effect from 27 September 2017.

Similarly, Scotland and Wales are not included in the threshold for free school meals – as again education policy is devolved. Scotland set their threshold lower than we set in England – and the threshold was passed without debate or opposition in the Scottish parliament.