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Written Question
Schools: Uniforms
Wednesday 31st May 2023

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to support families with the cost of (a) primary and (b) secondary school uniforms.

Answered by Nick Gibb

New statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms came into force in September 2022, following publication by the Government in November 2021. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

Schools must have regard to this guidance when they are developing and implementing their uniform policy. The guidance requires schools to keep branded items to a minimum, give the highest priority to cost and value for money in their supply arrangements, and ensure that second hand uniforms are available for parents to acquire.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will review the eligibility criteria for free school meals before the 2022-23 school year.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government 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 claiming FSM. 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 school children are now provided with FSM.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the number of children living in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government 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 claiming FSM. 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 school children are now provided with FSM.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Child Poverty Action Group's analysis published on 9 June stating that 800,000 children living in poverty are not eligible for free school meals, if he will take steps to provide those children with those meals.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government 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 claiming FSM. 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 school children are now provided with FSM.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the Child Poverty Action Group's analysis published on 9 June 2022 stating that 800,000 children living in poverty are not eligible for free school meals.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government 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 claiming FSM. 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 school children are now provided with FSM.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 04 Jul 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

Speech Link

View all Rushanara Ali (Lab - Bethnal Green and Bow) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 04 Jul 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

Speech Link

View all Rushanara Ali (Lab - Bethnal Green and Bow) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 30 Jun 2021
Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in Education Settings

Speech Link

View all Rushanara Ali (Lab - Bethnal Green and Bow) contributions to the debate on: Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in Education Settings

Written Question
Children: Disability
Thursday 17th June 2021

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is he taking to help disabled children recover from lost progress in managing their conditions in the context of the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Vicky Ford

I refer the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow to the answer I gave on 9 June 2021 to Question 10230.


Written Question
Children: Disability
Thursday 17th June 2021

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding additional therapies for disabled children.

Answered by Vicky Ford

I refer the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow to the answer I gave on 9 June 2021 to Question 10531.