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992746

registered interest
date	22/10/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes to the eligibility criteria for free school meals on the number of families living in poverty.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	182265
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2018 answer text <p>Our new criteria for free school meals eligibility are forecast to increase the number of children benefiting from this vital benefit by 2022, compared to under the previous benefits system. In addition, our transitional protections will mean that all children currently receiving a free meal will continue to do so.</p><p>In February, the government published an updated equality analysis on the criteria following a public consultation. Our overall assessment was that we expect children with a special educational need or disability, pupils attending schools with no religious character, and children from certain ethnic groups to benefit more than others from the estimated increase in the size of the free school meal cohort. These children were identified as more likely to benefit from the new criteria because they are considered more likely to come from households with earnings below the new eligibility threshold. We did not have evidence to suggest there will be any negative impact on children with other protected characteristics.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 25/10/2018 16:26:25 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

947497

registered interest
date	24/07/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government response to the consultation on Eligibility for free school meals, the early years pupil premium and the free early education entitlement for two-year-olds under Universal Credit, published in March 2018, what estimate he has made of additional costs to his Department per year as a result of the proposed Free School Meal eligibility criteria.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	168166
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>Our new criteria for free school meals eligibility are forecast to increase the number of children eligible for this vital benefit. In addition, our transitional protections will mean that all children currently receiving a free meal will continue to do so.</p><p>We have published a technical note setting out our forecast of how many additional pupils will be eligible for free school meals because of the recent changes we have made. This is available at the following address:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-technical-analysis-note" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-technical-analysis-note</a>.</p><p>Costs within this Spending Review period fall predominantly within the pupil premium and dedicated school grant budgets, and there is flexibility in these budgets to allow for changes in demand. We publish spend through these budgets at the appropriate points in the year.</p><p>Due to the lagged nature of school funding, the majority of costs fall within the next and subsequent Spending Review periods; budgets beyond 2020 will be set in the next Spending Review. Eligibility for free school meals is set out in legislation and this government is committed to ensuring that disadvantaged children and young people benefit from free school meals.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 168167 question first answered 10/09/2018 16:33:00 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

947498

registered interest
date	24/07/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government response to the consultation on Eligibility for free school meals, the early years pupil premium and the free early education entitlement for two-year-olds under Universal Credit, published in March 2018, whether his Department will be be the only Department funding additional costs accumulated due to the proposed changes in free school meals eligibility criteria.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	168167
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>Our new criteria for free school meals eligibility are forecast to increase the number of children eligible for this vital benefit. In addition, our transitional protections will mean that all children currently receiving a free meal will continue to do so.</p><p>We have published a technical note setting out our forecast of how many additional pupils will be eligible for free school meals because of the recent changes we have made. This is available at the following address:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-technical-analysis-note" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-technical-analysis-note</a>.</p><p>Costs within this Spending Review period fall predominantly within the pupil premium and dedicated school grant budgets, and there is flexibility in these budgets to allow for changes in demand. We publish spend through these budgets at the appropriate points in the year.</p><p>Due to the lagged nature of school funding, the majority of costs fall within the next and subsequent Spending Review periods; budgets beyond 2020 will be set in the next Spending Review. Eligibility for free school meals is set out in legislation and this government is committed to ensuring that disadvantaged children and young people benefit from free school meals.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 168166 question first answered 10/09/2018 16:33:00 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

944048

registered interest
date	18/07/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of (a) GSCE level and (b) A-level students were eligible for free school meals in each year since 2012.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	165486
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2018 answer text <p>The Department publishes the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4, who are eligible for free school meals (FSM), in its characteristics statistical release, available to view here:[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-gcses-key-stage-4" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-gcses-key-stage-4</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department published the number of A level students, at the end of their 16-18 study in 2016/17, who were eligible for FSM, in its statistical release.[2]<sup>,</sup> [3] The number of A level students at the end of their 16-18 study, who were eligible for free school meals from 2011/12 – 2015/16 are:[2]</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Academic year[4]<sup>,</sup>[5]<sup>,</sup>[6]</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of A level students eligible for free school meals</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>14,189</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>15,020</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>15,605</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>16,856</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16[7]</p></td><td><p>13,348</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] For 2014/15 – 2016/17 select the ‘revised’ publication from the top of the page, open the ‘characteristics national tables’ then select tab ‘table CH1’. The ‘number of eligible pupils’ column for the ‘FSM’ row provides the required figure. For 2011/12 – 2013/14 select the relevant ‘attainment by pupil characteristics’ link (half way down the page) and open the ‘national and local authority tables’, open tab ‘table 1’ and take the ‘number of eligible pupils’ from the ‘FSM’ row.</p><p>[2] FSM status in 16-18 study is based on the students eligibility in their final year of key stage 4 study. The methodology through which student’s FSM eligibility is identified was changed in 2016/17. Up to 2015/16 a student’s FSM was taken from their census record three years prior to the academic year the figures are reported for. In 2016/17 a student’s FSM is taken from the census record of their final year of key stage 4 study (normally, three years prior). Due to this change, 2016/17 figures can not be compared to earlier years. FSM eligibility in key stage 4 is taken from the census record for that academic year.</p><p>[3] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2016-to-2017-revised" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2016-to-2017-revised</a> - open the ‘A level exam results and A level and vocational participation csv’ link, open the ‘performance measures by characteristics’ file and then filter column E for ‘FSM eligibility’, column F for ‘eligible for FSM’, column G for ‘A level’ and then use the figure for ‘number of students’.</p><p>[4] Figures based on final data. Figures for 2015/16 and 2016/17 are based on revised data.</p><p>[5] Figures from 2012/13 to 2014/15 cover students at the end of advanced level study who were entered for at least one A level, applied single award A level, applied double award A level or combined A/AS level in the reporting year. Figures for earlier years cover students who were entered for at least one A level, applied single award A level, applied double award A level or combined A/AS level in the summer of the reporting year.</p><p>[6] Figures for 2015/16 onwards cover students at the of advanced level study who were entered for at least one A/AS level, applied single A/AS level, applied double A/AS level or combined A/AS level during their 16-18 study. As a result there has been a large increase in the number of A level students since 2016 and therefore figures are not directly comparable to earlier years.</p><p>[7] In 2015/16 the figures are only based on students included in the ‘best 3 A levels’ measure. In all other years, all students are included.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/07/2018 13:56:00 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

942018

registered interest
date	16/07/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the impact of the changes to free school meals entitlement following the Free School Lunches and Milk, and School and Early Years Finance (Amendments Relating to Universal Credit) (England) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/148) coming into force.
tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
uin	HL9532
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2018 answer text <p>The department is working closely with local authorities and schools to support them in implementing the changes to free school meal eligibility that were introduced in April. This has included the provision of guidance, webinar sessions, regular communications and responding to queries received via the department’s Eligibility Checking Service. The latest government statistics on free school meal rates are based on data collected before this change was introduced (January 2018 census). The next publication will be in June 2019 (based on the January 2019 census). The government is committed to reviewing the threshold level at the end of the Universal Credit rollout period.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 25/07/2018 13:06:29 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

933739

registered interest
date	02/07/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which underspending on free school meals occasioned by absence or other reason is being retained as profit by the supplier; and whether they have any plans to tackle any such practice.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL9126
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2018 answer text <p>We have not made an assessment. Schools have a duty to provide free school meals to all pupils who are eligible for them and to pay for free school meals from the funding provided by the government, which includes additional funding for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. While the costs of providing meals each day may vary with factors such as absence, the vast majority of costs will be based on the number of pupils eligible.</p><p>We trust schools to manage their own budgets and it is for them to decide how to use their funding to provide free school meals, including whether to use a supplier.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 16/07/2018 16:51:07 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

923303

registered interest
date	13/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether self-employed earnings that a person is treated as having under the Minimum Income Floor rules in universal credit count towards the £7,400 per annum free school meals threshold in England.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	153172
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2018 answer text <p>For determining eligibility for free school meals, we will assess the earnings of self-employed people based on their actual annualised net earned income, rather than the assumed earned income of the minimum income floor, over a period of up to three months. Where families’ actual annualised net earned income is below the £7,400 annual threshold, their children will be eligible for free school meals.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 153173 153174 question first answered 18/06/2018 15:58:03 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

923304

registered interest
date	13/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether earnings that an employed or self-employed person is treated as having under surplus earnings rules in universal credit count towards the £7,400 per annum free school meals threshold in England.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	153173
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2018 answer text <p>For determining eligibility for free school meals, we will assess the earnings of self-employed people based on their actual annualised net earned income, rather than the assumed earned income of the minimum income floor, over a period of up to three months. Where families’ actual annualised net earned income is below the £7,400 annual threshold, their children will be eligible for free school meals.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 153172 153174 question first answered 18/06/2018 15:58:03 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

923306

registered interest
date	13/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the carry forward of self-employed losses in universal credit can be used to reduce earned income for the purposes of the £7,400 per annum free school meals threshold in England.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	153174
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2018 answer text <p>For determining eligibility for free school meals, we will assess the earnings of self-employed people based on their actual annualised net earned income, rather than the assumed earned income of the minimum income floor, over a period of up to three months. Where families’ actual annualised net earned income is below the £7,400 annual threshold, their children will be eligible for free school meals.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 153172 153173 question first answered 18/06/2018 15:58:03 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

921863

registered interest
date	11/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that after the full roll-out of universal credit no child loses their entitlement to free school meals as a result of fluctuating earnings when their overall earnings are under £7,400 in a given year.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	152092
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2018 answer text <p>We recognise that some households see their earnings fluctuate from month to month. To address this, we will ensure that a claimant’s earnings can be checked over a period lasting up to three months (where this data is available), rather than taking only the most recent month of earnings into consideration.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 19/06/2018 12:27:56 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson