Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing free school meal vouchers to those students who are eligible for free school meals but cannot access a school setting due to (a) disability, (b) Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), (c) Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) or other factors.

The Education Act 1996 places a duty on maintained schools and academies to provide free school meals (FSM) to pupils of all ages that meet the criteria for eligibility and who are attending school during term time. The Act makes clear that a child must be registered at a publicly funded school as a condition of claiming FSM.

Local Authorities are funded to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who are unable to attend school on a long term basis. Parents are advised to liaise with Local Authorities to consider suitable alternatives in line with the guidance on long term illnesses, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/illness-child-education.