HC Deb 08 September 2003 vol 410 cc109-10W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the progress of the school meals research project. [127728]

Mr. Miliband

The Department for Education and Skills, in partnership with the Food Standards Agency, have commissioned research by Kings College London to assess whether food provided for school lunches in a selection of maintained secondary schools in England complies with statutory nutritional standards and associated guidance. The research, due to commence during the autumn school term 2003, will also aim to assess whether the food consumed by the children meets nutritional guidelines and to gather other relevant background information.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proposals he has to encourage the provision of free school meals; and what the average cost to pupils was of school meals in the last 12 months. [128239]

Mr. Miliband

The Education Act 1996 places a duty on all local education authorities in England to provide, on request, free school meals to eligible pupils. A similar duty is transferred to the governing body of all maintained schools in England that have a budgetary element for school meals delegated to them. Children whose parents receive the following support payments are entitled to receive free school meals: income support; income based jobseekers allowance; support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; child tax credit, provided they do not receive working tax credit and have an annual income, as assessed by the Inland Revenue, that does not exceed £13,230.

This Department does not collect information on the cost of meals provided by schools.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what quality controls are placed upon school meals; and what assessment has been made of the potential benefits to child health of healthy school meal provision. [128240]

Mr. Miliband

Regulations introduced in April 2001, set minimum nutritional standards for school lunches in maintained schools in England. The standards are based on the four main food groups pictorially represented in the Government's 'Balance of Good Health' diagram, which suggests the types and proportions of foods that make up a balanced diet. Food from the four groups: fruit and vegetables; meat, fish and non-dairy sources of proteins; starchy food; and milk and dairy, are required to be available in schools at lunchtime and allow pupils to choose healthy and enjoyable school lunches. It is the responsibility of local education authorities or, where a budgetary element for school meals is delegated to them, a school's governing body to ensure that the standards are met. School governing bodies and LEAs (as the employer) have a general responsibility for protecting the health and safety of staff and pupils. This responsibility would extend to the quality of school meals.

The Department for Education and Skills has not undertaken any specific assessment of the potential savings in child health in relation to healthy school meal provision.