Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with schools operating under Private Finance Initiative contracts on the adequacy of funding available for school meals.

The department has a dedicated Private Finance Team which regularly engages with schools and responsible bodies on issues arising from Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts, including funding pressures where relevant.

There are currently 637 PFI schools in England. Most are covered by contracts procured and managed by local authorities, and the department does not hold information on whether catering services are included within those contracts.

The department's five most recent privately financed school contracts, covering 46 schools, were procured under the PF2 model and do not include catering services.

The department supports PFI schools through both Revenue Support Grant funding for local authority-managed contracts and the PFI Factor within the National Funding Formula. In addition, the department's Private Finance Team provides advice and assistance to schools and responsible bodies on issues arising during the lifetime of PFI contracts and as contracts approach expiry.