Written question asked by Joan Walley (Labour) on Friday, 9 January 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 January 2009. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 January 2009 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the integration of school and onsite catering into the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Answer: Our guidance, which applies to all secondary schools including those in BSF, ““Building Bulletin 98, The Briefing Framework for Secondary School Projects””, sets out recommendations for a range of options to suit the catering arrangements of the school. All of which is designed to promote healthy eating to children and young people. We do not require that every school have a kitchen on site big enough for all purposes, because it is up to local authorities and schools to decide how best to meet the Government's nutritional standards. The Department's ““Inspirational Design for Kitchen Spaces”” provides technical guidance.Integration of existing onsite catering services into BSF facilities management contracts is not mandatory. It will vary within each local authority according to the current contractual arrangements for the services and the proposed future model of delivery for BSF. We would of course expect local authorities to make decisions following consultation with schools and based on value for money.

Secondary information