Maximising the take-up of free school meals is important in ensuring that as many eligible children as possible benefit from a healthy and nutritious meal. The department aims to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility.<\/p>
To support this, an \u2018Eligibility Checking System\u2019 has been provided to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities.<\/p>
The department has looked at this issue and considers there to be merit in local authorities exploring initiatives to maximise take up and to better understand the barriers that prevent such take up, whilst ensuring adherence to legal and data protection constraints. The department has not provided formal guidance to support these activities but continues to engage with key stakeholder on this issue.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4703", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Barran"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Barran"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL2940"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-15T13:09:27.46Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Free School Meals: Eligibility"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have provided, if any, to local authorities about using data proactively\u202fto identify and register all eligible children for free school meal entitlement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Field of Birkenhead"} ], "uin" : "HL2939"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1693084", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1693084/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Maximising the take-up of free school meals is important in ensuring that as many eligible children as possible benefit from a healthy and nutritious meal. The department aims to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility.<\/p>
To support this, an \u2018Eligibility Checking System\u2019 has been provided to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities.<\/p>
The department has looked at this issue and considers there to be merit in local authorities exploring initiatives to maximise take up and to better understand the barriers that prevent such take up, whilst ensuring adherence to legal and data protection constraints. The department has not provided formal guidance to support these activities but continues to engage with key stakeholder on this issue.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4703", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Barran"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Barran"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL2939"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-15T13:09:27.493Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Free School Meals: Eligibility"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of local authorities using data proactively to identify and register children eligible for free school meals.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Field of Birkenhead"} ], "uin" : "HL2940"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1688720", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1688720/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to ensuring that genuine victims of modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT) are identified promptly and provided with the support necessary to assist them in rebuilding their lives.<\/p>
The rights of victims of MSHT in the UK are governed by both our domestic and international obligations, such as those protected under the Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (ECAT), Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA), Illegal Migration Act 2023 (IMA) and Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA). Section 45 of the MSA 2015 introduced a statutory defence for victims of modern slavery to protect them from prosecution for crimes they have been compelled or forced to commit as a result of their exploitation.<\/p>
The Home Office funds the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), valued at £379m over its lifespan, to provide temporary needs-based support to enable adult victims to escape modern slavery, connect with long-term support, and reintegrate into the community.<\/p>
In addition to the statutory support provided to children by the local authorities, the Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship service, which provides advice and support for potentially trafficked children, irrespective of nationality, covers two-thirds of the local authorities across England and Wales.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4888", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sharpe of Epsom"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-22T17:30:53.173Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Slavery: Victims"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 10 May 2023 (HL Deb col 1923) that they are \"committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and supporting victims\", what steps they are taking to protect the rights of genuine victims of slavery.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Field of Birkenhead"} ], "uin" : "HL2326"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1688310", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1688310/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Under the Healthy Start scheme, pregnant women and children aged under four years old and over one years old, each receive £4.25 every week, and children under one years old each receive £8.50 every week. Healthy Start can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fresh, frozen or tinned fruits and vegetables, fresh, dried and tinned pulses, milk and infant formula. The money is loaded onto a pre-paid payment card. Beneficiaries are not required to spend the money each week and it can be accumulated and put towards more expensive Healthy Start items, such as infant formula. The legislation states that only after 16 consecutive weeks of the pre-paid payment card not being used can the card be cancelled.<\/p>
This flexibility in how and when the money can be used means that the total amount spent in any one month can exceed the amount added in that month, if beneficiaries have accumulated funds in previous months. The following table shows the latest data for how much was added onto Healthy Start cards and spent, per month, during 2023:<\/p>
Month<\/p><\/td> | Total added<\/p><\/td> | Total spent<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
January<\/p><\/td> | £7,859,474.75<\/p><\/td> | £8,353,475.29<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
February<\/p><\/td> | £7,435,669.76<\/p><\/td> | £7,320,424.91<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March<\/p><\/td> | £10,626,362.86<\/p><\/td> | £8,971,140.57<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
April<\/p><\/td> | £11,665,242.36<\/p><\/td> | £10,012,024.12<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
May<\/p><\/td> | £8,137,362.11<\/p><\/td> | £8,218,389.00<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
June<\/p><\/td> | £7,805,625.26<\/p><\/td> | £7,873,571.30<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
July<\/p><\/td> | £9,171,390.95<\/p><\/td> | £8,021,060.44<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August<\/p><\/td> | £8,535,237.75<\/p><\/td> | £7,985,449.52<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September<\/p><\/td> | £7,549,456.50<\/p><\/td> | £7,887,565.69<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
October<\/p><\/td> | £8,289,498.25<\/p><\/td> | £7,715,832.34<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
November<\/p><\/td> | £7,954,638.13<\/p><\/td> | £7,131,207.48<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
December<\/p><\/td> | £7,750,004.57<\/p><\/td> | £7,013,663.46<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> This flexibility also means that from month to month some of the money may remain on the payment cards without being used. During 2023 the average outstanding balance across all Healthy Start cards was £12.6 million. This equates to around £37 per household. If a card was unused for 16 weeks as permitted in the legislation, it would accumulate £68 for a pregnant woman or a family with a child over one and under four, or £136 for a family with twins under one years old. The average balance of £37 per household is less than 16 weeks\u2019 entitlement, although these are aggregate figures and there will be variation across households. The following table shows the total outstanding balance across all Healthy Start cards, per month, during 2023:<\/p>
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