• Reference: 2023/1037
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. When will schools receive funding for free school meals from your scheme for 2023-24, will the funding be supplied as a block or in relation to monthly or other outturns, and will it be provided in advance or in arrears?

• Reference: 2023/1036
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. Can you compel schools and councils (a) to accept the money you are offering for free school meals, and (b) to spend it on extending free school meals? If so, what is the legal basis for this power?

• Reference: 2023/1035
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. In a letter to London Council leaders about your Free School Meals programme, dated 20 February, you said that “my officers are working with partners to design a mechanism for delivering the funding to you and your schools in a way that builds upon existing processes for school meals funding.” Given that the GLA is not involved in the existing processes that satisfy the Education Act 1996, which are...

• Reference: 2023/1034
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. If schools or councils cannot expand their kitchens or procure additional meals to deliver the meals needed under your Free School Meals programme, will they be permitted to spend the money on food vouchers for children instead?

• Reference: 2023/1033
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. Is it your intention to encourage schools to buy microwave meals or other ready made meals to cope with demand under your Free School Meals programme? If so, what steps will you take to ensure high food quality and food standards?

• Reference: 2023/1032
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. What are your plans if schools cannot deliver the meals required as a result of your Free School Meals programme on-site?

• Reference: 2023/1031
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. Will any of the £130 million you have allocated for free school meals in 2023-24 be earmarked for schools to upgrade and increase the capacity of their kitchens? Will any other assistance be available for this purpose?

• Reference: 2023/1030
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. What estimate are you using of the expected uptake of free school meals under your scheme?

• Reference: 2023/1029
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. If the funding from your Free School Meals programme does not cover the full cost to schools of providing the meals under their existing catering contracts, will you expect schools or councils to cover the shortfall, and if so will schools be permitted to charge any shortfall to parents?

• Reference: 2023/1028
• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 23 March 2023

We support the plan to provide all primary school children in the capital with free school meals. This needs to be done in a way that is sustainable for the schools. What figure will you use for the unit cost per meal under your Free School Meals programme for 2023-24?