Contributions
727 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Free School MealsI thank the hon. Lady for her question and for her time as a school governor, especially as we mark Volunteers’ Week. The work of school governors up and down the country is…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsMy hon. Friend is a real champion for children and young people in her constituency. She is absolutely right to set out the differences in the cost of living that this policy will…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsWith permission, I will make a statement to update the House on free school meals for children. This is a Government who put children first—they are at the centre of the change…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsAs I set out earlier, this is an intervention that is at once pro-learning and anti-poverty. We want to see high and rising standards in all our schools. Excellence should be for…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsThe hon. Gentleman sets out the current position and what has happened in the past. What we are announcing today will lift more children out of poverty, because more children will…05 Jun 2025HANSARDSchool FoodThis Government are today taking another step to delivering our plan for change as we announce that all children in households in receipt of universal credit will be eligible for…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsWasn’t that a nice try, Madam Deputy Speaker? Let us be clear: we are taking urgent action in the light of the scar of poverty on our society. We have the spending review next…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsI thank my hon. Friend, the Select Committee Chair, for her constructive comments and for welcoming today’s announcement. Making all children in households claiming universal…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsIf the hon. Lady had listened carefully to my statement, she would know that I said we will be announcing further details on the strategy later this year.05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsI can assure the hon. Member that this scheme will be fully funded. More broadly, I have set out plans for the child poverty strategy to be published later this year. The key to a…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsMy hon. Friend has been a real champion on school food issues ever since she was elected to this place. I had the pleasure of meeting her recently, along with campaigners she…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsMy hon. Friend is a real champion for children and young people in her constituency and in this place. As she rightly says, this announcement represents a significant expansion of…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsWe of course want to ensure that all families that are eligible for this roll-out benefit from it. Working with other Government Departments, we want to make the process as simple…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsI thank the hon. Member for welcoming so positively the announcement today. She has been, like so many others in her party, a real champion on these matters. She has made clear in…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsExtensive work is ongoing on child poverty, and we will publish our strategy later this year. As part of that, we are considering all available levers to give every child the best…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsAs the hon. Member will have heard earlier, I will not comment on speculation. Extensive work is under way on the child poverty strategy, which will conclude later this year. I…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsMy hon. Friend is right to raise the benefits that this measure will bring on attendance, attainment and behaviour. I know that she is a real champion on these issues and that she…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsWe have invested more than £200 million in the holiday activities and food programme, which supports children, offers enrichment opportunities and provides good-quality food…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsI thank my hon. Friend for his question. I am keen to ensure that we learn from the best in local government, as we have been on auto-enrolment activity especially. As I mentioned…05 Jun 2025HANSARD Free School MealsI can assure the hon. Member that it will be for all children in that household. More broadly, we are introducing breakfast clubs, which is a universal offer in every primary…05 Jun 2025