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School Meals: Weather

Asked by Layla MoranLiberal DemocratDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 17 July 2026UIN 17789

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the number of schools that stop offering hot meals to children during heatwaves.

Answered by Josh MacAlister

The department has not made an assessment of the number of schools that stop offering hot meals during periods of hot weather.

Beyond the School Food Standards, decisions about catering arrangements are a matter for individual schools and their catering providers. The department’s expectation is that schools remain open wherever it is safe to do so, and schools may make operational adjustments in response to local conditions and risk assessments during period of extreme heat. The department’s guidance emphasises the importance of ensuring pupils have access to food, water and appropriate facilities, while taking practical steps to keep children safe and comfortable in hot weather.

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