Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of applicants to the Civil Service Fast Stream in 2022 who were recommended for employment were (a) eligible for free school meals and (b) not eligible for free school meals.

Of applicants to the Civil Service Fast Stream in 2022 who were recommended for employment, (a) 21.3% were eligible for free school meals and (b) 78.7% were not eligible for free school meals.

Representation of those eligible for free school meals has increased in recent years. Successful Fast Stream applicants who were eligible for free school meals were 16.1% in 2021, 15.3% in 2020 and 13.1% in 2019.