Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with Lancashire County Council on the Council's ban on halal and kosher meat in school meals.

The department has had no discussions with Lancashire County Council with regards to their ban on halal and kosher meat in school meals. The government sets out required minimum standards for school food in the School Food Standards to ensure that children are served healthy, nutritious meals at school. The standards do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs.

Headteachers, governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies, which includes acting reasonably to provide choices that take account of cultural, religious and special dietary needs. Schools that choose to arrange their school meals through a local authority or another catering organisation may wish to take this into consideration. Schools may consider providing both halal and non-halal or kosher food each day, or ensuring that dishes are clearly labelled to allow pupils to select the appropriate choice.