Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to analysis by the Child Poverty Action Group published on 1 September 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that analysis's findings on the proportion of children living in poverty in London who are not eligible for free school meals; and whether he plans to take steps to reduce that proportion.

The Department continues to monitor the consequences of the rising cost of living and is working with other Government Departments in providing support. The Department will continue to keep free school meal (FSM) eligibility under review, ensuring that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the Department believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.

The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, 37.5% of school children are now provided with FSM.