The current School Food Standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food. The Department continues to keep the School Food Standards under review.

During this period, we are asking schools to support pupils who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food suppliers wherever possible. We recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme, with costs covered by the Department for Education (DfE).

The DfE assessed several options prior to launch. Our priority has been ensuring that the families most in need are continuing to receive support.

Schools providing meals or vouchers themselves can be reimbursed for any additional costs, with further details available in the published guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-schools.

We are monitoring the use of the scheme on a daily basis. Voucher codes are being processed and many thousands of families are already redeeming them.

As of Wednesday 29 April, Edenred reported that over £35 million worth of voucher codes have been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme.

The childhood obesity plan, published in August 2016, mentions that we will update the School Food Standards in light of refreshed government dietary recommendations. We are currently reflecting on the best course of action and further announcements will be made in due course.

The School Food Standards, where they apply, provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options. In Childhood obesity: a plan for action, published in August 2016, we indicated that we will update the standards in light of refreshed government dietary recommendations, and we have committed to reviewing the standards to align with the latest scientific advice on sugar.

We are in the process of confirming the timelines for this piece of work and further information will be available in due course.

As announced on 03 July 2017, I am the minister with responsibility for school food.

Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with the Department for Health on a range of policy matters.

Ministers have had no meetings with Public Health England. Departmental officials have met with them three times since 18 August.

We agreed to update the School Food Standards in light of refreshed government dietary recommendations as part of the 'Childhood Obesity: a plan for action' published in August 2016. Departmental officials have begun talks with Public Health England colleagues about how best to do this.

The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) asked John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby to carry out a review of school food in April 2012. Since April, he has met Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent together twice, on 3 July and 15 August 2012, and Henry Dimbleby alone once, on 9 May 2012, to discuss school food. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's special adviser also met John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby on 3 July and 15 August. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his special adviser were present at the launch of the review on 4 July with John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby at Lauriston Primary School in Hackney. Other Ministers in the Department for Education have not met John Vincent or Henry Dimbleby to discuss school food. Officials in the Department for Education who are supporting the review meet John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby on a regular basis (several times a week) on Department for Education premises and at their office, and have accompanied them on a wide range of visits.

The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), met with Jamie Oliver on 23 June 2011 to discuss school food and cooking. I also met recently with my colleague, Zac Goldsmith MP and his constituent Stephanie Wood, of School Food Matters, to discuss school food. Jamie Oliver was due to attend this meeting but cancelled.

The Department has received recent correspondence from MPs and members of the public. Officials have also received correspondence and had discussions with organisations, including the School Food Trust, the Children's Society, the Children's Food Campaign, LACA (formerly the Local Authority Caterers Association), Food for Life, Barnardo's, Save the Children, Sustain, Family Action and the Child Poverty Action Group, on school food and free school meals.

We have not had discussions with, or received any representations from catering companies.

New standards for school food in maintained schools were introduced, through legislation, in 2007. The regulations set out a combination of food-based and nutrient-based standards, and these are publicly available on the School Food Trust's website.

We expect maintained schools, as a minimum, to have arrangements in place to meet the standards. The Department has funded the School Food Trust £1.5 million in 2012-13 to help schools meet the standards and share examples of good practice. The trust's work includes advising the Department on evidence around school food, working with schools and caterers to support compliance with the standards, and supporting work to increase take-up of school food. The latest survey of

secondary schools' compliance with the standards does show an improvement since 2004, but that further progress is still needed.