Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential effect of inflation on the levels of access to food over the school holidays for children in living in low income families.

The department is investing over £200 million a year in its holiday activities and food programme to support families in England during the school holidays. This programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families. The provision is for school-aged children from reception to year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals. Local authorities also have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide holiday club places for other children who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but who the local authority believe could benefit from the provision.

Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty. The department is confident that schools will continue providing pupils with nutritious school meals as required by the school food standards.

The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. These are global challenges, that is why the government is providing over £15 billion in further support, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. This package is in addition to the over £22 billion announced previously, with government support for the cost of living now totalling over £37 billion this year.

To support people who need additional welfare help, the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support in England, via the Household Support Fund, which is being extended to March 2023. This brings the total amount provided to £1.5 billion since October 2021.