§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the face value is of the free school meal voucher or equivalent provided by each local education authority in England; [129737]
1135W(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that the value of a free school meal voucher or equivalent provided by local education authorities enables pupils using cafeteria systems to purchase a two-course lunch and a drink which conform to the nutritional standards laid down by his Department. [129738]
§ Mr. Stephen Twigg[holding answer 15 September 2003]: It is the responsibility of the local education authority or, where a budgetary element for school meals has been delegated to them, a school's governing body to decide the monetary value of a free school meal. The Department for Education and Skills, does not collect data on the value of the free school meal voucher.
'Healthy School Lunches' guidance, produced by this Department, includes the Secretary of State's strong recommendation that the value of a free meal should be set to enable eligible pupils to have a standard two course lunch and a drink.
§ Helen Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what guidance he has issued to schools on introducing systems which do not make pupils receiving free meals readily identifiable; [129739]
(2) if he will provide incentives for schools to increase the take-up of free school meals; and if he will make a statement. [129740]
§ Mr. Stephen Twigg[holding answer 15 September 2003]: The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) funded research, commissioned to the Child Poverty Action Group, into the reasons children fail to take up their free school meal entitlement. The findings were published in a research report (RR270) entitled 'Improving the Take-Up of Free School Meals' in May 2001. The study identified a number of good practice strategies that could be adopted to encourage more parents and pupils to take up their entitlement. It also suggested that every effort should be made to ensure that pupils receiving free school meals are not easily identifiable. For example, this could be achieved if schools that operate a cafeteria system introduce cashless systems such as swipe cards.
The report is published on the DfES Research and Statistics Gateway website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/ Alternatively, copies of the report can be obtained from DIES Publications by telephoning: 0845 6022260 quoting reference RR270.
The Department of Education and Skills has no plans at present to provide incentives for schools to increase the take—up of free school meals.
§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average time taken by each local education authority between a parent registering for free school meals and the provision of free meals to their children was in the last year for which figures are available. [129741]
§ Mr. Stephen Twigg[holding answer 15 September 2003]: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect this information.