Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will undertake a review its decision to withdraw funding for the distribution of fruit with free school meals; and if he will make a statement.

It was announced on 18 March that all schools in England would remain open only for a very limited number of pupils (children of key workers and vulnerable children) until further notice. At this time the Government made a decision to pause the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) so that as little fresh produce as possible would go to waste.

In the Government’s ‘Our Plan to Rebuild’, published on 11 May, primary schools were asked to plan to welcome back nursery, reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils as of 1 June 2020. However, it was not possible to restart the SFVS from 1 June.

The Department for Education and schools themselves are ensuring that children who attend school continue to receive healthy and nutritious food at school, as well as making provision to support families usually in receipt of free school meals and whose children are not attending school.