David Laws MP

Minister of State

Department for Work and Pensions

Caxton House
Tothill Street
London SW1H 9DA

Date: 5^th April 2013

Dear David,

I am writing in support of the Children’s Society’s report on free school meals (FSM) policy.

I fully support the Society’s excellent work on this issue and urge you to accept their three main recommendations:

1. The government should ensure that all children in poverty are entitled to receive FSM, and promote work incentives, by extending FSM entitlement to school children in families in receipt of Universal Credit.

2. All local authorities and school providers should introduce cashless systems in order to de-stigmatise the receipt of FSM.

3. The government should review the extent to which maintained schools and academies are adhering to the nutritional standards for school food, and whether secondary school pupils who take up FSM are receiving enough to buy a full and nutritious meal, with a range of choices available within budget.

In addition, I notice in response to a recent Parliamentary question that you stated the cost of extending FSM to all on universal credit would be up to £1bn[2].  Can you provide a breakdown of this figure please, given that it appears to be double the figure suggested in the detailed costings in the Children Society’s report?

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Pavilion