https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools<\/a>.<\/p>Provision for free school meals is ordinarily term time only. However, owing to the COVID-19 outbreak the government understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we will be providing additional funding for a Covid Summer Food Fund which will enable children who are eligible for free school meals to receive food vouchers covering the 6-week holiday period.<\/p>
The government has made significant wider support available for children and families at this time. On 10 June, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed an additional £63 million to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to COVID-19. In addition, the government has introduced an uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by around £1,000 a year for the next 12 months as part of an injection of over £6.5 billion by the government into the welfare system.<\/p>
Additional support has been pledged by various departments across the government with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announcing the provision of £16 million for food support through charities, including FareShare and WRAP. DEFRA have also issued 2 million food packages to those who are shielding.<\/p>
The Department for Education\u2019s Holiday Activities and Food programme ensures that thousands of disadvantaged children have access to enriching activities and nutritious healthy meals over the summer.<\/p>
More widely, the government has supported families to cope with the impact of COVID-19 by introducing a range of support measures, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. Support has also been provided to help families pay their rent or mortgage, access sick pay, and delay tax payments.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4674", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Ford"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-06-23T15:44:00.023Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of extending the free school meals voucher scheme on levels of child poverty.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4671", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Afzal Khan"}
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The UK Government regularly engages with international partners on the importance of truth, accountability and justice for all victims of the civil war in Sri Lanka. At the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, the UK works closely with the Core Group on Sri Lanka, and made clear our continued support for justice for victims of conflict in a joint statement delivered at the UNHRC in February. While in Geneva in February, the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to underline this message, and the Foreign Secretary raised the importance of accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka during a call with Foreign Minister Gunawardena in May. On 20 May, in a call with the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, Lord Ahmad, who is also the Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, welcomed her recent engagement on Sri Lanka.<\/p>
The British High Commission in Colombo continues to engage with international partners on this important issue. The UK has long supported Sri Lanka's accountability commitments made to the UNHRC through resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1 as the best way to establish truth regarding alleged crimes committed by all sides during the Sri Lankan civil war, as well as to achieve accountability and reconciliation.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4057", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nigel Adams"}
}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State, what steps the Government plans to take with international partners at the Human Rights Council to deliver international accountability in relation to alleged war crimes committed during the Sri Lankan civil war, with reference to the Sri Lankan Government\u2019s recent repudiation of its commitments under Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 and the termination of that process in March 2021.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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The Prime Minister, as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, has not held discussions with the Commonwealth Secretariat on a Commonwealth good offices initiative to Sri Lanka, but we are monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka closely. Respect for human rights, democracy and good governance are fundamental tenets of the Commonwealth Charter, and we encourage all member states to uphold those shared commitments.<\/p>
The UK is also a member of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and has long supported Sri Lanka's commitments under UNHRC resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1 on accountability, justice and reconciliation following the Sri Lankan civil war.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4057", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nigel Adams"}
}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nigel Adams"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-06-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-06-23T16:13:23.197Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Prime Minister, as Chair in Office of the Commonwealth, has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat on the need for a Commonwealth good offices initiative to Sri Lanka.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4359", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Kinnock"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Kinnock"}
], "uin" : "61518"}
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