The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on automatic enrolment for free school meals during a discussion on funding for post-16 education and skills on 2nd July 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, one way for schools and colleges to get the funding they need is through the pupil premium, and one way to ensure that they get the pupil premium funding to which they are entitled is through automatic enrolment for free school meals. Can the Minister confirm that local authorities wishing to run automatic enrolment schemes in their area would be acting in line with their duties to support the most disadvantaged children?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab, Government Whip): I was not expecting quite that angle, but the right reverend Prelate raises a very important point. It is absolutely heartbreaking when you know that children are eligible for this funding but, for whatever reason, the family do not come to the attention of people who could support them. I will look into the detail that the right reverend Prelate asked for and get back to him.
The Church of England in Parliament 
You must be logged in to post a comment.