Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will restore the meal voucher scheme for eligible school children during future school holidays.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department will continue to keep eligibility conditions for free school meals (FSM) under review to ensure that FSM are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the department believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.

The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, 37.5% of pupils are now provided with FSM.

Over £200 million a year is being invested in the holiday activities and food programme. This programme provides healthy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their heath, wellbeing and learning through the provision of healthy free meals, nutritional education, and physical activities on a daily basis.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow use of the meal voucher scheme during the summer holidays.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Free school meals (FSM) are an educational entitlement intended to support children while they are learning. Pupils do not receive FSM when they are not receiving education. This includes school holidays.

Children who are in receipt of FSM are eligible for a free place on the holiday activities and food programme. The programme is being delivered in all 152 local authorities in England. It ensures that disadvantaged children have access to healthy food and enriching activities during the longer school holiday periods.

To support people who need additional help, the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support via the Household Support Fund, which will be extended from October 2022 to March 2023. This brings the total amount provided through the Household Support Fund since October 2021 to £1.5 billion. This is administered by local councils in England and helps those in most need with payments towards the rising cost of food, energy, and water bills.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing pupils who are eligible for free school meals with food vouchers during the summer holidays; and if he will make that his policy.

Answered by Will Quince

Free school meals (FSM) are an educational entitlement and intended to support children while they are learning. Pupils do not receive FSM when they are not receiving education, including during school holidays.

Children who are in receipt of FSM are eligible for a place on the holiday activities and food programme, free of charge. This is being delivered in all 152 local authorities in England and ensures that disadvantaged children have access to healthy food and enriching activities during the longer school holiday periods.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to provide food voucher support for vulnerable children for the duration of (a) the upcoming autumn 2021 half-term and (b) upcoming winter break 2021-22.

Answered by Will Quince

Schools provide free school meals for eligible pupils during term time. Beyond this, billions of pounds of welfare assistance is in place to support families and children.

During 2021, the department is investing up to £220 million in our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Taking place in schools and community venues across the country, delivery began at Easter, has run across the summer, and will run during the Christmas holidays. This programme supports disadvantaged pupils and their families with enriching activities, providing them with healthy food, helping them to learn new things and improving socialisation.