Question follow-through · 627

Free School Meals

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of broadening the eligibility criteria for children to receive free school meals.

answeredDepartment for Education

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Department for Education
Tabled
18 Jul 2024
Target answer date
22 Jul 2024
Answer
26 Jul 2024 · 8 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Education and skills

Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.

Recorded timeline

  1. 18 Jul 2024

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of broadening the eligibility criteria for children to receive free school meals.

  2. 22 Jul 2024

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 26 Jul 2024

    Answer published

    This government has not made a formal assessment of the merits of broadening the free school meals (FSM) eligibility criteria.This adds to the department’s programmes which provide over 3 million children with free and nutritious meals. Such programmes in...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 27 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Holiday Activities and Food Programme

22 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to extend the Holiday Activities Fund.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Holiday Activities and Food Programme

22 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Holiday Activities Fund on children living in poverty.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Special Educational Needs: Academic Year

22 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure there is adequate provision for children with SEND to access activities during school holidays.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Special Educational Needs: Academic Year

22 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the funding for children with SEND to help provide access to (a) activities and (b) childcare during school holidays.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Special Educational Needs: Mental Health Services

22 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that children with (a) SEND, (b) anxiety and (c) trauma can access (i) support and (ii) therapeutic services during the school holidays.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Further Education: Finance

23 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will commission a review into the funding of further education.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Universities: Finance

23 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Universities on the financial viability of the sector.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Schools: Absenteeism

23 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of (a) children and (b) young people not in school; and if she will commission a review into the reasons behind such absences.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Schools: Food

26 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will support food growing schemes in schools.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Private Education: Fees and Charges

30 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the state school sector is able to accommodate children in the independent sector who will need to transfer due to the introduction of VAT on schools in (a) September 202

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Children: Mental Health Services

30 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make provision available for the (a) emotional and (b) mental health needs of children transferring from the independent to the state school sector before they transfer.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Class Sizes

30 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase class sizes to accommodate children moving from the independent sector to the state sector.