Did you mean schools deals?
Alasdair Allan: Although one might think that free school meals would command the support of all parties in the Scottish Parliament, over the past few weeks we have seen the farce of Scottish Tory MPs voting against it at Westminster, while Tory MSPs claim to support it—a move that the Tory education spokesperson has admitted makes his party and his party’s leader hypocrites. Does the cabinet secretary...
Gill Furniss: ...sector. Education is potentially the most powerful tool for lifting people out of poverty, with further education presenting unique opportunities to do just that. Not only does FE prepare many school leavers for higher study and provide them with the skills for meaningful employment, but it allows many adults to learn, whether that means new skills or building on existing ones. The FE...
Ian Byrne: ...due to a steep rise in covid-19 cases. Liverpool’s Mayor and, following that, the Leader of the Opposition called for a circuit-breaker lockdown, which would have been timed to run alongside the school holidays. This would have relieved pressure on our health and social care services and saved lives, but tragically that call fell on deaf ears once again. The challenges facing our...
Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost (1) in total, and (2) per pupil, of providing lunches to pupils in (a) primary, and (b) secondary, schools.
Baroness Berridge: The department is investing up to £35 million in the National School Breakfast Programme, using funds from Soft Drinks Industry Levy revenues. This includes an extension by a further year until March 2021. While the programme is designed to support schools during term time, during the summer holidays this year we provided extra provision using existing funds for breakfast meals to...
Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has invested more than £130 million to tackle the food insecurity that has been caused by the pandemic. That includes free school meal provision over the summer. We have also recently announced that we will continue to support free school meal provision in holiday periods up to and including Easter 2021, which will benefit more than 150,000 families. That is in...
Angela Constance: ...and to the baby box. Over-16s who have immigration leave can vote in Scottish Parliament and local government elections, and there is access to the care-experienced bursary for students and to free school meals and vouchers, where applicable. Where we can improve our support, we must do so. The Scottish Refugee Council and Aberlour Child Care Trust are calling for national guidance for...
Jim Shannon: We are ever mindful that Northern Ireland has already given £1.3 million for free school meals. Can the Minister further outline the impact of child poverty on the additional 100,000 children in Northern Ireland who are now on that list due to covid, according to the facts from the Department for the Economy? Will he also tell us whether additional assistance will be available for those in...
Gareth Thomas: I hope that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor now regret their decision not to extend free school meals to cover half-term and will join the richly deserved praise for all those community groups, councils and, indeed, businesses that stepped up to stop our nation’s children going hungry last week. Will the Prime Minister now commit to do the right thing at Christmas and extend free...
Lord Newby: ...is told to self-isolate, they are provided with details about how to claim the compensation, with the Government then paying up quickly? Secondly, will the Government commit now to paying for free school meals during the Christmas period? It is simply unacceptable at this point for them to cut off a lifeline for the poorest children in the country. It is equally unfair for Manchester...
Mary Foy: Last month, the Government disgraced themselves by voting against extending free school meals into the holidays for our most vulnerable children. Even if the Government will not reverse that cruel decision, will they at least follow Action for Children’s recommendations and extend free school meals for all families in receipt of universal credit?
Nick Gibb: ...receiving support from a social worker and care leavers. The Department estimated the number of disadvantaged pupils without access to an internet connection using data on pupils eligible for Free School Meals in each school, taking into consideration estimations by Ofcom and reflecting that some pupils would already have access to a private internet connection. The 4G wireless routers...
Nick Gibb: The Government wants to do everything it can to support schools to deliver remote education. The Department has invested over £195 million to support remote education and access to online social care, delivering over 220,000 laptops and tablets during the summer term for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access to a digital device. The Department is adding to this support...
Yvette Cooper: ...’s health, from Movember to mental health; setting up a great women’s team, who have been really going from strength to strength; working with our local Morrisons last week to provide holiday meals for children who went along to their half-term session, inspired by Marcus Rashford; and working with local schools as the inspiration for our school rugby league teams, who have done so...
Rosena Allin-Khan: ...who helped to deliver food and medicines to our most vulnerable at the height of the crisis, and I have been incredibly moved by all those businesses, struggling themselves, that provided free school meals locally when the Government failed to act. It touches me to witness the hope and humanity of our communities and of individuals such as Marcus Rashford, but it is shameful that that has...
Siobhain McDonagh: May I make it clear from the start that I believe in the importance of children attending school? No other form of education improves on that, and as long as we can safely keep schools open, doing so should be a priority. At the heart of the debate, however, must be the consideration of precisely what education a child can receive when at home. Let us consider the reality: when schools...
Robbie Butler: ...you for giving way. He raises good points about the consultation. The consultation was excellent. Does the Member agree that it was incredibly disappointing to see the level of responses on free school meals and special educational needs children with regard to the attitude to education at the next level?
Robbie Butler: ...Deputy Chair and Daniel McCrossan both picked up on socially disadvantaged people. I was deeply saddened to see in the consultation socially disadvantaged people, such as children who are on free school meals and SEN pupils. The disappointing thing is that when respondents were asked what alternative arrangements they would like to see, do you know what finished bottom of the pile? Those...
Priti Patel: ...Ministers. As a first step on public funds, the Home Office is working with the Department for Education (DfE) on how immigration status and no recourse to public funds (NRPF), interact with free school meals and other educational entitlements, which are administered by DfE. This review will be completed by the end of the year. Transparency and engagement will remain at the heart of our...
Lord Rosser: My Lords, last week the Government voted against both free school meals for hungry children in the UK and a legal route to safety for refugee children. Why is it that vulnerable children are paying the price for this Government’s policies? Two days ago, the Home Secretary was quoted as saying: “I will do everything I can to stop callous criminals exploiting vulnerable people.” If next...