Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of running a pilot study to assess the impact of universal free school meals on educational outcomes.

This government has extended free school meals (FSM) eligibility more than any other government in decades. Over 2 million pupils are currently eligible for benefits-based FSM. Close to 1.3 million additional infants receive free and nutritious meals under the universal infant FSM policy.

The department believes that the current eligibility threshold level, which enables pupils in low-income households to benefit from FSM while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one. The department does not currently have plans to change the existing eligibility conditions for FSM but will continue to keep the policy under review.

The department has no current plans to assess the impact of universal free meals on attainment.