Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality of school meals within (a) primary and (b) secondary education.

The standards for school food are set out in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. The standards are designed to ensure that schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools in both primary and secondary settings. The Standards can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made.

The department believes that the current standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure that pupils in England continue to receive high-quality and nutritious food that builds healthy eating habits for life. The department continues to keep the School Food Standards under review.