Mr Adrian Sanders – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Adrian Sanders on 2014-03-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he held with schools and local authorities for the purposes of drafting departmental advice on universal infant free school meals.

Mr David Laws

Since the announcement of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM), Departmental officials have engaged in a number of discussions with primary school head teachers and their representatives, local authorities and other interested parties, to explore how this policy can be implemented so that the benefits of universal free school meal provision for children and families are maximised.

The content of the departmental advice document on universal infant free school meals, which was published on 6 March, was based on feedback gathered through these discussions. Before it was published, the document was commented on by the Department’s UIFSM external reference group, which includes representatives from schools and local authorities.