Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing automatic enrolment in free school meals for eligible children.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals (FSM). Since 2010, the number of children receiving a free meal at school has increased by more than two million, thanks to the introduction of universal infant free school meals, plus generous protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to Universal Credit. Over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM in schools, compared with one in six in 2010.
FSM take-up was estimated to be 89% according to benefits data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and December 2012/January 2013 census data. The relevant publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-not-claiming-free-school-meals-2013.
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the number of pupils who would become eligible for FSM through automatic enrolment. The Department provides an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and Local Authorities. The Department has also developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for FSM and provided guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including FSM.
The Department has previously had discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions about auto-enrolment functionality, but there are complex data, systems, financial and legal implications to such a change.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on introducing automatic enrolment for free school meals for eligible children.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals (FSM). Since 2010, the number of children receiving a free meal at school has increased by more than two million, thanks to the introduction of universal infant free school meals, plus generous protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to Universal Credit. Over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM in schools, compared with one in six in 2010.
FSM take-up was estimated to be 89% according to benefits data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and December 2012/January 2013 census data. The relevant publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-not-claiming-free-school-meals-2013.
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the number of pupils who would become eligible for FSM through automatic enrolment. The Department provides an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and Local Authorities. The Department has also developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for FSM and provided guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including FSM.
The Department has previously had discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions about auto-enrolment functionality, but there are complex data, systems, financial and legal implications to such a change.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of pupils nationally who are eligible for, but are not claiming, free school meals.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals (FSM). Since 2010, the number of children receiving a free meal at school has increased by more than two million, thanks to the introduction of universal infant free school meals, plus generous protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to Universal Credit. Over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM in schools, compared with one in six in 2010.
FSM take-up was estimated to be 89% according to benefits data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and December 2012/January 2013 census data. The relevant publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-not-claiming-free-school-meals-2013.
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the number of pupils who would become eligible for FSM through automatic enrolment. The Department provides an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and Local Authorities. The Department has also developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for FSM and provided guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including FSM.
The Department has previously had discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions about auto-enrolment functionality, but there are complex data, systems, financial and legal implications to such a change.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Food Strategy Report, published in July 2021, what progress her Department has made on implementing that report’s recommendation on finding a viable mechanism for automatic enrolment in free school meals.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals (FSM). Since 2010, the number of children receiving a free meal at school has increased by more than two million, thanks to the introduction of universal infant free school meals, plus generous protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to Universal Credit. Over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM in schools, compared with one in six in 2010.
FSM take-up was estimated to be 89% according to benefits data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and December 2012/January 2013 census data. The relevant publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-not-claiming-free-school-meals-2013.
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the number of pupils who would become eligible for FSM through automatic enrolment. The Department provides an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and Local Authorities. The Department has also developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for FSM and provided guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including FSM.
The Department has previously had discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions about auto-enrolment functionality, but there are complex data, systems, financial and legal implications to such a change.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many additional pupils in England would receive free school meals in the event that automatic enrolment was introduced.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals (FSM). Since 2010, the number of children receiving a free meal at school has increased by more than two million, thanks to the introduction of universal infant free school meals, plus generous protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to Universal Credit. Over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM in schools, compared with one in six in 2010.
FSM take-up was estimated to be 89% according to benefits data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and December 2012/January 2013 census data. The relevant publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-not-claiming-free-school-meals-2013.
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the number of pupils who would become eligible for FSM through automatic enrolment. The Department provides an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and Local Authorities. The Department has also developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for FSM and provided guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including FSM.
The Department has previously had discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions about auto-enrolment functionality, but there are complex data, systems, financial and legal implications to such a change.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what resources are being provided to support asylum seekers required to fill in the 11 page questionnaire in English and return it within 20 days.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Streamlined Asylum Process policy guidance was published on 23 February 2023 (Streamlined asylum processing - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)). On the same day, questionnaires began to be sent out to legacy claimants from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Libya, Syria and Yemen to their most recently recorded correspondence address. These countries have been included in the streamlined asylum process on the basis of their high-grant rate of 95% or higher and over 100 grants in the year-ending September 2022 of protection status (refugee status or humanitarian protection). All questionnaires should be dispatched to eligible claimants by the end of March 2023.
The asylum claim questionnaires are in English as is generally the case for immigration paperwork across the Department. If necessary, claimants can utilise legal representatives, Non-Government Organisations and other support networks to help them respond to the questionnaire. For those who are unable to return the questionnaire within 20 working days, a reminder will be sent to the claimant allowing a further 10-working days to complete and return it to the Home Office. A further extension can be requested where the timeframe cannot be met, for example because the claimant has serious medical conditions which is impacting their ability to respond to the questionnaire.
The intention of these questionnaires is to enable claimants to provide any further information about their claims after their initial screening interview upon arrival.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has estimated the average annual savings to users of the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES); and when he expects HNES users to receive a reduction in their bills.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has not estimated the average annual savings to consumers – these will be project specific and dependent on the heat network optimisation measures for which grant support is awarded. The point at which bill reductions and/or other benefits are delivered will also be project specific, and dependent on a) the heat network optimisation measures for which grant funding is awarded and b) each projects delivery timescales. The Government does expect to see benefits being delivered to some networks that are awarded grants in early funding rounds in advance of the next heating season.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy to provide a £200 one-off payment to users of communal heat networks.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed in the Autumn Statement that the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which was intended to support businesses, will be reformed from April and targeted at the most affected businesses. It has been decided that heat network consumers will not receive the Domestic Alternative Fuel Payment of £200, which was designed to support households using fuels such as oil, LPG or coal. Instead, the Government will bring forward a more appropriate route to deliver support, beyond April 2023, that is in line with support provided by other domestic consumers.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy to provide energy bill support for communal heat network users on a parity basis with any further support provided to domestic gas users.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Some domestic heat network customers are already receiving energy bill support through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. The Government is developing options to ensure domestic consumers on a non-domestic meter continue to benefit from support in line with other domestic users after April.
Further information on the scheme will be made publicly available in the near future.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether financial support will be made available for users of communal heat networks from April 2023; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Domestic heat network customers currently receive support on their heating and hot water bills via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. The Government is developing options to ensure these domestic consumers benefit from support in line with other domestic users after April 2023. Further information on a successor scheme will be available in the near future.