Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has conducted impact assessments of food, farming, and sustainability education policy in the context of her Department's duties under the Equality Act 2010.

As part of the last reform of the national curriculum, an equalities impact assessment was carried out to evaluate whether the proposed changes would impact positively or negatively on groups with protected characteristics. This equalities impact assessment is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/211061/Equalities_impact_assessment_-_FINAL_v3.pdf.

Additionally, Public Health England provided a framework that guides teachers in applying best practice for food education in secondary schools. It is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80d9c440f0b62305b8d7ff/Foodteaching_Secondaryguidelines_FINAL.pdf.

The curriculum and assessment system in England is currently under review by an independent panel of experts. The Curriculum and Assessment Review is now carrying out further investigation into specific policy and subject issues, working closely with the sector and building on the body of evidence gathered so far. No decisions about individual subjects have yet been made. Any subject-specific findings and recommendations that come out of the Review will be included in the final report which will be published in autumn.