Order, order.

Free School Meal Extension Bill

A bill to provide a at least basic meal to all students at state funded schools up to school year 11 free of charge at the point of access.

BE IT ENACTED by The Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

Section 1: Amending the Children and Families Act 2014:

Section 106 of The Children and Families Act 2014 will now read as follows:

(1)The Education Act 1996 is amended as follows.

(2)In section 512ZB (provision of free school lunches and milk at maintained schools)—

(a)in subsection (2)(a) after “subsection (4)” insert “or (4A) (or both)”,

(b)after subsection (4) insert—

“(4A)A person is within this subsection if the person—

(a)is a registered pupil at a maintained school or pupil referral unit in England, and  

(b)is in compulsory education between early years and year 11.  

(4B)The Secretary of State may by order provide for the following to be treated as persons within subsection (4A)—

(a)registered pupils, or any description of registered pupils, at a maintained nursery school in England;  

(b)children, or any description of children, who receive relevant funded early years education, or any description of such education, in England.  

(4C)In subsection (4A)—

“maintained school” means—  
(a) a community, foundation or voluntary school, or  

(b)a community or foundation special school;

“reception” means a year group in which the majority of children will, in the school year, attain the age of 5;  

“year 11” means a year group in which the majority of children will, in the school year, attain the age of 16;  

“early years” means a year group in which the majority of children will, in the school year, attain the age of 5;  

“year group” means a group of children at a school the majority of whom will, in a particular school year, attain the same age.”, and  

(c)in subsection (5), after ““prescribed”” insert “, “relevant funded early years education””.

(3)After section 512A insert—

“512BProvision of school lunches: Academies

(1)Academy arrangements in relation to an Academy school or an alternative provision Academy must include provision imposing obligations on the proprietor that are equivalent to the school lunches obligations.

(2)“The school lunches obligations” are the obligations imposed in relation to maintained schools and pupil referral units in England by—

(a)section 512(3) (provision of school lunches on request), and  

(b)section 512ZB(1) (provision of free school lunches to eligible persons).  

(3)Academy arrangements in relation to an Academy (other than a 16 to 19 Academy) that are entered into before the date on which section 106(3) of the Children and Families Act 2014 comes into force are to be treated as if they included the provision required by subsection (1), to the extent that they do not otherwise include such provision.”

Section 2: Additional Funding:

(1)Extra funding of £370 per pupil per year will be made available to LEAs and academy groups to fund the giving of free school meals.

(2)This will total £1,560,000,000

(3)A fund will be made available for funding the increase of school facility to facilitate the rest of this act.

Section 3: Extent, Commencement, and Short Title

(1) This Act shall extend to the whole of the United Kingdom
(2) This Act shall come into on the 1st August 2016
(3) This Act may be cited as The Free School Meal Extension Act

This Bill was submitted by The Rt Hon. Lord Three Cocks PL PC on behalf of the Labour Party

This reading shall end on the 15th June 2016.