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Written question asked by Caroline Lucas (Green Party) on Thursday, 9 February 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 February 2023. It was answered by Nick Gibb (Conservative) on Friday, 24 February 2023 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Children: Food Poverty

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report by Magic Breakfast entitled Hidden Hunger - The State of UK Breakfast Provision 2022, published April 2022, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her Department's policies of that report's findings; if she will make it her policy to expand the National School Breakfast Programme to cover all disadvantaged pupils; and if she will make a statement.

Answer

The Government is committed to continuing support for school breakfasts. In November 2022, the Department extended the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) to the end of the summer term 2024. The Department is allocating £30 million of funding in this programme. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn. Schools are eligible for the programme if they have 40% or more pupils from deprived households, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.

Family Action estimates that 270,000 children are currently receiving a breakfast from the NSBP on an average school day. The NSBP is undertaking data collection with all participating schools and relevant data will be published in due course.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
143713
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Children Food poverty National school breakfast programme
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk