Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual value of free school meals for each family in receipt of such meals in England.
Free school meals provide a healthy, nutritious meal to children and young people, and help to ensure they are well nourished, develop healthy eating habits and can concentrate and learn. The department estimates the cost of a free school meal to be £2.30 per pupil per day, based on the average cost of providing a meal according to a survey carried out by the School Food Trust. With 190 school days in each academic year, this is an annual cost of £437 per pupil, inclusive of the school’s relevant fixed costs.