Written question asked by Katie Lam (Conservative) on Thursday, 22 May 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 June 2025. It was answered by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Tuesday, 3 June 2025 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Schools: Food

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of food procured by schools for (a) the free breakfast club trial and (b) free school meals is imported.

Answer: The department spends over £1.5 billion supporting schools to deliver healthy and nutritious breakfasts and lunches in schools. Schools are best placed to make decisions about how provision is made. They have the autonomy to source food locally and sustainably, and to cater to religious dietary requirements based on the needs of their local communities. The department does not hold the requested information, owing to the freedoms that schools have. However, details about the UK’s overall sources of food are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024-theme-2-uk-food-supply-sources#overall-sources-of-uk-food.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 54520
Session: 2024-26
Grouped for answer: Yes
Subjects: Food Imports Free school meals Procurement Schools Breakfast clubs
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk