§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, under the National School Fruit Scheme, all four-year-olds in education are entitled to a free piece of fruit each school day; and whether this entitlement applies to children in LEA maintained nursery schools, as well as nursery classes attached to primary schools. [104880]
§ Ms BlearsThe National School Fruit Scheme is a Government commitment to entitle all four to six-year-olds to a free piece of fruit each school day from 2004.
Entitlement at present is restricted to children in areas where region-wide pilots for the scheme have already been introduced. Eligibility for these pilots is defined as four to six-year-olds in local education authority (LEA) maintained infant, primary and special schools and other children in the same classes. This includes nursery classes attached to these schools but not stand-alone nursery schools, whether or not they are LEA maintained.
During these pilots, we are keeping all aspects of the scheme under review, including the application of eligibility criteria, prior to the national scheme being introduced.