Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the effect on children's well-being of the temporary suspension of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

On 18 March the Government announced that from 23 March 2020, as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools would remain open only for a limited number of pupils - vulnerable children and children of key workers, as defined by the Government.

A decision was taken in March that the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) would not operate for the whole of the summer term of 2020, recognising the substantial operational difficulties which would need to be resolved in order to restart a large, national scheme like the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme part-way through a term. This ensures that as little fresh produce goes to waste as possible. The funding for the SFVS which will not be spent during the summer term is being used to support the National Health Service and other priorities during the pandemic.