Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason funding for universal infant free school meals (USIM) of £2.34 per meal is no longer in line with funding for free school meals (FSM) of £2.47 per meal; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the UIFSM funding rate to match that of FSM.

The department spends around £600 million per year ensuring around 1.3 million infants enjoy a free, healthy, and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the universal infant free school meal policy in 2014. The per meal rate of £2.34 per child was increased in the 2020/21 financial year. The funding rate for the 2022/23 financial year will be published with the funding allocations in June.

The department holds regular meetings with other government departments and with food industry representatives, covering a variety of issues including public sector food supplies. Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty. We are confident that schools will continue providing pupils with nutritious school meals as required by the school food standards.

The department routinely considers contingency arrangements and expect schools and catering companies supplying them to do the same.