Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide free school meals during school holidays for vulnerable children who attend school in local authority areas where such meals are not provided.

Free school meal provision has supported children to access a healthy, nutritious meal to learn, concentrate and achieve while they are at school, for more than a century. It is ingrained in the fabric of everyday school life. Now that our schools are fully open, this support has returned as intended.

We recognise the current challenges that families face and, building on the significant support given to the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 outbreak, we have announced a new £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme, which will be run by councils in England.

The funding will be ring-fenced, with at least 80% earmarked to support with food and bills, and it will cover the period to the end of March 2021. Local authorities will receive the funding at the beginning of December 2020.

It will allow councils to directly help the hardest-hit families and individuals, as well as provide food for children who need it over the holidays. Local councils understand which groups need support, and are best placed to ensure appropriate holiday support is provided, which is why they will distribute the funds, rather than schools, who will continue providing meals for disadvantaged children during term-time.

In addition to this scheme, we will also be expanding the Holiday Activities and Food programme across England next year, which has provided healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children since 2018. It will cover Easter, summer and Christmas in 2021, and will cost up to £220 million. It will be available to children in every local authority in England and will build on previous programmes, including this summer’s programme, which supported around 50,000 children across 17 local authorities.