---

13 Jun 2005 : Column 215W—continued

School Governance

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations her Department has received on the structure of school governing bodies. [4088]

Jacqui Smith: From 1 September 2003 new arrangements allowed governing bodies to determine their own size and composition within a framework of guiding principles based on a stakeholder model. We have regular discussions with representatives of the two national organisations representing school governors.

School Independence

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria will be used to determine which schools will gain greater independence. [3856]

 
13 Jun 2005 : Column 216W
 

Jacqui Smith: The Government have set out plans for enabling all secondary schools, except those which are failing, to gain greater independence by acquiring foundation status. A failing school is a school which is subject to a warning notice from the local authority; has serious weaknesses; is in special measures; or has had its delegated budget suspended. It will be for the governing bodies of individual schools to decide whether to acquire foundation status, taking into account the views of parents and other stakeholders. The Government's manifesto contains a commitment to enable primary schools to acquire foundation status more easily, and we will set out our proposals for primary schools in due course.

School Meals

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much she plans to make available to schools in Coventry, South to improve school meals over the next three years; and if she will make a statement. [2786]

Jacqui Smith: Over the three years 2005–06 to 2007–08, all maintained schools in England will receive a share of the £220 million set aside to help local education authorities and schools strengthen their support for healthy eating and to provide better quality food. Of this, £30 million each year will go to schools to help meet transitional costs involved in developing andimproving their whole school" approach to food. £30/50/50 million will go to LEAs to enable them to support schools with this process, with an emphasis on schools in deprived areas and schools starting from a low base.

The first instalment of this additional funding will be available to schools and LEAs this autumn. Further details about the distribution of both grants between individual local authorities and schools will be announced in due course.

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average spending per meal per pupil for school meals was in (a) the London borough of Haringey and (b) England in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [3076]

Jacqui Smith: This information is not currently collected centrally.

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when (a) Haringey local education authority and (b) schools in the London borough of Haringey council area are expected to receive extra funding to improve school meals; and if she will make a statement. [3078]

Jacqui Smith: Over the three years 2005–06 to 2007–08, all maintained schools in England will receive a share of the £220 million set aside to help local education authorities and schools strengthen their support for healthy eating and to provide better quality food. Of this, £30 million each year will go to schools to
 
13 Jun 2005 : Column 217W
 
help meet transitional costs involved in developing andimproving their whole school" approach to food. £30/50/50 million will go to LEAs to enable them to support schools with this process, with an emphasis on schools in deprived areas and schools starting from a low base.

The first instalment of this additional funding will be available to schools and LEAs this autumn. Further details about the distribution of both grants between individual local authorities and schools will be announced in due course.

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average spending per pupil per meal for school meals was in (a) England and (b) Tamworth in the last period for which figures are available. [3332]

Jacqui Smith: This information is not currently collected centrally.

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when (a) Staffordshire local education authority and (b) schools in Tamworth are expected to receive extra funding to improve school meals. [3333]

Jacqui Smith: Over the three years 2005–06 to 2007–08, all maintained schools in England will receive a share of the £220 million set aside to help local education authorities and schools strengthen their support for healthy eating and to provide better quality food. Of this, £30 million each year will go to schools to help meet transitional costs involved in developing andimproving their whole school" approach to food. £30/50/50 million will go to LEAs to enable them to support schools with this process, with an emphasis on schools in deprived areas and schools starting from a low base.

The first instalment of this additional funding will be available to schools and LEAs this autumn. Further details about the distribution of both grants between individual local authorities and schools will be announced in due course.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the expenditure on (a) capital equipment and alterations and (b) re-training necessary to meet higher nutritional standards in schools; and if she will make a statement. [3581]

Jacqui Smith: The Government are investing £5.5billion in 2005–06, rising to £6.3 billion in 2007–08 to improve school buildings. This will include £1 billion allocated directly to schools for their priority needs. Decisions on how to prioritise investment are made locally through the asset management planning process, which should reflect government aims as well as local needs. The Building Schools for the Future programme aims to bring all secondary schools to 21st century standard, including kitchen and dining facilities. Additional funding of £650 million for primary schools has already been announced for 2008–09 and 2009–10, and further details of this programme will be announced later this year.

Every school is allocated money to improve its building each year, which can be spent on kitchen and dining facilities. Devolved Formula Capital guidance
 
13 Jun 2005 : Column 218W
 
for 2005–06 makes clear the priority attached to schools making plans to provide at least one hot meal a day on the premises, and for this to be eaten in reasonable comfort in suitable dining facilities.

There are also funds specifically earmarked for the refurbishment of school kitchens in Voluntary Aided (VA) schools. This results from the reform of liabilities and funding arrangements at VA schools in 2002, when their governing bodies took on responsibility for some buildings (including kitchens) which were previously the responsibility of local education authorities.

The Secretary of State recently announced that over the three years 2005–06 to 2007–08 £220 million new funding grants will be given direct to schools and local education authorities. These grants are part of a wider package to improve the quality of school meals. Decisions on spending these grants will be made at local level, but we have already made clear the importance we attach to school catering staff being given the knowledge and skills they need to deliver a healthier school meals service.

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average spending per meal per pupil for school meals in the county of Durham has been in each year since 1999. [3758]

Jacqui Smith: This information is not currently collected centrally.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will publish nutritional standards for school meals in (a) secondary schools, (b) primary schools and (c) nurseries; and whether she expects these standards to be enforced through legislation. [4005]

Jacqui Smith: An expert panel has been convened to advise the Government on how best to meet their commitment in the Public Health White Paper to improve school food, through the revision of school meals standards. The panel has been asked to produce draft minimum standards to be rolled out to secondary schools from September 2005, with those for primary schools following shortly afterwards. The final version of the standards will become mandatory from September 2006. We are currently considering whether nursery school standards should be similarly revised.

Once the school lunch standards have been considered, the panel will then set about looking at how the standards could apply to other food and drink on school premises e.g. vending machines and tuck shops. Any extended standards will need to be enshrined in regulations as are the current standards.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will publish details of the formulae for distributing to (a) local education authorities and (b) schools the funding to improve school meals announced on 30 March. [4101]

Jacqui Smith: Over the three years 2005–06 to 2007–08, all maintained schools in England will receive a share of the £220 million set aside to help local education authorities and schools strengthen their support for healthy eating and to provide better quality food. Of this, £30 million each year will go to schools to help meet transitional costs involved in developing
 
13 Jun 2005 : Column 219W
 
andimproving their whole school" approach to food. £30/50/50 million will go to LEAs to enable them to support schools with this process, with an emphasis on schools in deprived areas and schools starting from a low base.

The first instalment of this additional funding will be available to schools and LEAs this autumn. Further details about the distribution of both grants between individual local authorities and schools will be announced over the summer.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria are used for allocating capital funding to (a) build and (b) refit school kitchens. [4102]

Jacqui Smith: The Government are investing £5.5billion in 2005–06, rising to £6.3 billion in 2007–08 to improve school buildings, including kitchen and dining facilities. Much of this funding is allocated to schools and authorities by needs-related formula. Decisions on how to prioritise investment are made locally through the asset management planning process, which should reflect Government aims as well as local needs, based on a survey of all school buildings.

The Building Schools for the Future programme aims to bring all secondary schools to 21st century standard, including kitchen and dining facilities. Additional funding of £650 million for primary schools has already been announced for 2008–09 and 2009–10, and further details of this programme will be announced later this year.

By 2006–07, school funding will include £1 billion allocated directly to schools for their priority needs, which can be spent on kitchen and dining facilities. Our current guidance on schools' devolved formula capital makes clear the priority attached to schools making plans to provide at least one hot meal a day on the premises, and for this to be eaten in reasonable comfort in suitable dining facilities.

There are also funds specifically earmarked for the refurbishment of school kitchens in voluntary Aided (VA) schools. This results from the reform of liabilities and funding arrangements at VA schools in 2002, when their governing bodies took on responsibility for some buildings (including kitchens) which were previously the responsibility of local education authorities.

---