Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it remains his Department's policy to fund universal infant free school meals; and if he will make a statement.

We are making a significant investment in free school meals for children. Nutritious food in schools helps ensure pupils are well nourished, develop healthy eating habits and can concentrate and learn. We ensure that the most disadvantaged children receive a free healthy lunch at school and in 2019, around 1.3 million disadvantaged children benefitted from this important provision, saving families roughly £400 a year.

Free meals were also extended to disadvantaged further education students in September 2014. In addition, universal infant free school meals were introduced in 2014, and the department spends around £600 million each year ensuring 1.4 million infants receive a free meal through this programme. We have confirmed the funding arrangements for this provision for the current academic year, and arrangements for 2020/21 will be confirmed in due course.