Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) schools and (b) local authorities on food (i) procurement and (ii) supply chain transparency.

Schools are responsible for providing meals and meeting the School Food Standards. They may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty. Our guidance on the School Food Standards, available on GOV.UK, includes practical advice to support schools in areas such as menu planning and procurement.

The department has published guidance for schools participating in the Early Adopter Breakfast Clubs Programme, which sets out what support is available in relation to food procurement, including the ‘buying for schools service’.

The department’s ‘Get help buying for schools’ has a range of approved frameworks that can help schools to buy food with peace of mind that they are getting good value, in terms of cost, quality and time. These resources are accessible at: https://get-help-buying-for-schools.education.gov.uk/categories/catering.