Written question asked by Damian Green (Conservative) on Friday, 17 February 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 February 2023. It was answered by Nick Gibb (Conservative) on Monday, 27 February 2023 on behalf of the Department for Education.

National School Breakfast Programme

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding the number of schools enrolled in the National School Breakfast Programme.

Answer: In November 2022, the Department extended the National School Breakfast Programme for an additional year, until the end of the summer term in 2024. £30 million has been set aside to fund 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 better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn. Schools are eligible for the programme if they have 40% or more pupils from disadvantaged households, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.

Secondary information