Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children currently receiving Free School Meals are assessed as children subject to No Recourse to Public Funds conditions in (a) Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The department collects and publishes information on the number of children eligible for free school meals and the number who claim a meal on school census day, but does not collect information on the proportion of them who are subject to ‘No recourse to public funds’ conditions. We are currently working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility for free school meals will continue with the current temporary income threshold, until a decision on long-term eligibility is made.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the temporary provision of Free School Meals to children with No Recourse to Public Funds on a permanent basis.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We are working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility will continue with the current income threshold until a decision on long-term eligibility is made.