Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people experiencing financial difficulty are aware of and able to access appropriate (a) financial support and (b) advice during winter months.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government recognises the challenges many households face during the winter months and is committed to ensuring that people experiencing financial difficulty are aware of and able to access the support available.
At Budget 2025, we announced a comprehensive package of measures to ease cost of living pressures. This includes taking an average of £150 off household energy bills from April 2026, expanding the £150 Warm Home Discount to 6 million lower income households, and freezing rail fares and NHS prescription fees for one-year. We are lifting around 550,000 children out of poverty by removing the two child limit, alongside other measures announced this year such as expanding free school meals. The Household Support Fund in England will also continue to help households facing the greatest hardship with the cost of essentials such as food, energy and water.
To ensure people can access support with their finances whenever they need it, the Government also funds the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) which supports consumers with free, impartial guidance for every stage of their financial lives. Its MoneyHelper services – available online, via webchat and over the phone – operate year-round and offer information on a wide range of financial topics, along with easy-to-use tools and calculators to support people in managing their finances. In addition to this, MaPS delivers a range of national and community-based debt advice services across England to provide specialist support to those in problem debt. The UK Government also provides funding for debt advice in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with responsibility for debt advice services resting with respective devolved governments.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she is taking to help increase the incomes of lower income families in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chancellor took significant steps in the Autumn Budget 2025 to support lower income families and improve living standards across the UK, including in Surrey Heath. These measures include:
• Removing the two-child limit in Universal Credit, which will mean the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.
• In Surrey Heath, this change is estimated to benefit around 990 children.
• This is part of a wider package of welfare reforms and cost of living support, expanding free school meals and breakfast clubs, freezes rail fares and prescription charges, and raising the National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour from April 2026.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools have raised concerns with her Department regarding a) the adequacy of funding for free school meals and breakfast clubs where pupils have religious dietary requirements b) what the nature of these concerns has been c) and how each concern has been addressed.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department spends over £1.5 billion annually supporting free school meals provision to around 3.5 million school pupils. Officials meet regularly with the sector to gather feedback.
The government sets out required minimum standards for school food in the school food standards to ensure that children are served healthy, nutritious meals. The government is reviewing the standards and will be engaging widely with the sector, including faith groups, throughout this process.
We have confirmed over £30 million of funding for the current 2025/26 financial year and around £80 million for the 2026/27 financial year for free breakfast clubs. From April 2026, mainstream schools will be funded at a new increased rate of £25 a day, plus £1 per pupil per day who attends the club. We continue to learn through our programme evaluation and sector engagement, including with faith groups.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children were in poverty in Telford constituency for each year that data is available.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty by parliamentary constituency are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication.
These are available at: Children in low income families: local area statistics - GOV.UK
Statistics are available from FYE 2015 to FYE 2024.
The latest available data can also be found on Stat-Xplore: Stat-Xplore - Home
The Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published shortly, sets out the steps we are taking to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to change the course we’re on and create long-term change.
The removal of the two child limit, announced at Autumn Budget, will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.
The removal of the two child limit could benefit around 4,800 children in Telford living in households affected by this policy.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative data his Department holds on rates of (a) child poverty and (b) homelessness in (i) Surrey Heath constituency, (ii) Surrey, (iii) the South East and (iv) England.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK.
Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK.
Homelessness statistics are published by MHCLG: Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2024-25 - GOV.UK
Ahead of Child Poverty Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of demand for food support services in Surrey Heath constituency in winter 2025-26.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have not made a specific assessment of the potential implications for our policies of trends in the level of demand for food support services in Surrey Heath during winter 2025–26 but the Government is committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels.
We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of families falling into poverty. Our Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by an initial £240 million investment in 2025/26, will target and tackle economic inactivity and unemployment and join up employment, health and skills support to meet the needs of local communities.
We have provided £742 million in England to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) until 31 March 2026. This enables Local Authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food, and develop their schemes to help prevent poverty locally and build local resilience.
The Government also recognises that greater certainty helps local authorities to design and deliver sustainable plans for local welfare. This is why from 1 April 2026, we are introducing a new £1 billion Crisis and Resilience fund package. This is the first ever multi-year settlement for locally delivered crisis support. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities – working with the voluntary and community sector – as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis.
Further, ahead of Child Poverty Strategy publication in the coming weeks, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.
Finally, we have committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to, to make work pay and tackle poverty. We have already introduced the Fair Repayment Rate, reducing the Universal Credit overall deductions cap from 25% to 15% of a customer’s standard allowance, giving 1.2m households an average of £420 per year. In addition, we have also uprated benefit rates for 2025/26 in line with inflation, with 5.7 million Universal Credit households forecast to gain by an average of £150 annually.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies educational attainment of boys and girls by (a) ethnicity and (b) social class in (i) England, (ii) Greater Manchester and (iii) Oldham.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed. However, educational inequalities exist across the country and at every phase of education, particularly for white working-class children.
These gaps, whether in Oldham or nationally, are not acceptable.
Through the government’s Plan for Change, we are tackling these inequalities. The department will invest close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education to close gaps.
The department is rolling out expanded government-funded childcare entitlements and creating thousands of school-based nurseries to increase the provision of quality childcare. We will fund Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority ensuring children and families needing support most, especially those from low-income backgrounds or with additional vulnerabilities, can access it. This includes building on the great work already done by Oldham’s seven family hubs funded in this financial year.
We are expanding free school meals to all children on Universal Credit from September 2026 and have delivered record increases to early years pupil premium.
This is alongside work to drive high and rising school standards, including regional improvement for standards and excellence attainment conferences with the North-West conference open to schools in Oldham.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the £2.61 meal rate paid to Oxfordshire schools for providing universal infant free school meals, taking into account rising (a) food, (b) energy and (c) staff costs.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We spend around £600 million per year ensuring close to 1.3 million additional infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the universal infant free school meal (UIFSM) policy in 2014.
The department has not made a formal assessment of UIFSM funding for Oxfordshire schools, but we meet regularly with the sector, including school food caterers, and draw on these insights to inform our policy thinking.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how access to fresh food is being incorporated into the NHS Long Term Plan’s approach to tackling preventable diseases linked to diet.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s Eatwell Guide advises that people should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and wholegrain or higher-fibre foods, as well as less processed meat, and food and drink that is high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and salt. This includes at least five portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Fresh, frozen, tinned, and dried fruit and vegetables all count. The Eatwell Guide indicates that many foods classified as ‘ultra processed’ such as crisps, biscuits, cakes, confectionery, and ice cream are not part of a healthy, balanced diet.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), alongside other Government departments, are funding research on a number of food system trials through the SALIENT programme. The programme prioritises interventions and partners that have the largest reach and the greatest potential to narrow health inequalities, both geographic and socio-economic. These trials include research on food and vegetable pricing in supermarkets and evaluating the effect of food pantries on food insecurity. DEFRA’s 2024 report on food insecurity also considered inequalities in access to a healthy, sustainable diet.
DHSC is working closely with DEFRA to develop their cross-Government Food Strategy, which aims to improve affordability and access to healthier food, to help both adults and children live longer, healthier lives. We are committed to making the healthier choice the easier choice.
Earlier this year, the Government committed to reviewing the School Food Standards to reflect the most recent Government dietary recommendations. Free school meals will also be extended to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, including in rural areas. Our free breakfast clubs started with 750 early adopter schools in April 2025, and we have just announced the next wave of 500 schools, with 40% of pupils on free school meals to benefit from the programme from April 2026. The aim of these programmes is to ensure children receive nutritious meals at school and to remove barriers to opportunity.
Our Healthy Food Schemes, which comprises of Healthy Start, the School Fruit and Veg Scheme, and the Nursery Milk Scheme, provides support for those who need it the most to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Healthy Start provides funding to pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households to support a healthier diet. In April 2026, the value of weekly payments will increase by 10%.
DHSC is working at pace to develop proposals set out in our 10-Year Health Plan commitments, to introduce mandatory healthier sales reporting for large food businesses and then set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales.
We will work closely with business to implement these commitments, and plan to conduct extensive engagement with industry and wider stakeholders throughout policy development. To assist us in the development of the mandatory reporting we will commence our formal engagement with businesses shortly. This will involve a series of workshops with a cross-sector industry working group.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with major retailers on improving access to affordable fresh food.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s Eatwell Guide advises that people should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and wholegrain or higher-fibre foods, as well as less processed meat, and food and drink that is high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and salt. This includes at least five portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Fresh, frozen, tinned, and dried fruit and vegetables all count. The Eatwell Guide indicates that many foods classified as ‘ultra processed’ such as crisps, biscuits, cakes, confectionery, and ice cream are not part of a healthy, balanced diet.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), alongside other Government departments, are funding research on a number of food system trials through the SALIENT programme. The programme prioritises interventions and partners that have the largest reach and the greatest potential to narrow health inequalities, both geographic and socio-economic. These trials include research on food and vegetable pricing in supermarkets and evaluating the effect of food pantries on food insecurity. DEFRA’s 2024 report on food insecurity also considered inequalities in access to a healthy, sustainable diet.
DHSC is working closely with DEFRA to develop their cross-Government Food Strategy, which aims to improve affordability and access to healthier food, to help both adults and children live longer, healthier lives. We are committed to making the healthier choice the easier choice.
Earlier this year, the Government committed to reviewing the School Food Standards to reflect the most recent Government dietary recommendations. Free school meals will also be extended to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, including in rural areas. Our free breakfast clubs started with 750 early adopter schools in April 2025, and we have just announced the next wave of 500 schools, with 40% of pupils on free school meals to benefit from the programme from April 2026. The aim of these programmes is to ensure children receive nutritious meals at school and to remove barriers to opportunity.
Our Healthy Food Schemes, which comprises of Healthy Start, the School Fruit and Veg Scheme, and the Nursery Milk Scheme, provides support for those who need it the most to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Healthy Start provides funding to pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households to support a healthier diet. In April 2026, the value of weekly payments will increase by 10%.
DHSC is working at pace to develop proposals set out in our 10-Year Health Plan commitments, to introduce mandatory healthier sales reporting for large food businesses and then set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales.
We will work closely with business to implement these commitments, and plan to conduct extensive engagement with industry and wider stakeholders throughout policy development. To assist us in the development of the mandatory reporting we will commence our formal engagement with businesses shortly. This will involve a series of workshops with a cross-sector industry working group.