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However, in the mean time I hope the Minister can assure me that the Government's priority is to increase free school meal take-up among the eligible and ensure that all the schoolchildren whose families are in receipt of universal credit, when it comes in, will be eligible for free school meals. Can he assure me that the introduction of universal credit will not mean that fewer children will qualify for free school meals?
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Asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will enforce nutritional standards for school food in academies and free schools in the light of new evidence that some schools are reintroducing junk food.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): My Lords, we know that nutritious food has positive effects on behaviour and attainment. The evidence indicates that many academies have responded positively to the standards, and some are going beyond them. The quality of food offered in all schools, including academies, has improved, but further improvement is needed. The latest findings from the School Food Trust show no significant difference between the lunch provided by maintained schools and by academies.
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Baroness King of Bow: My Lords, I congratulate Scope and the Equalities National Council on the report, which draws to our attention the fact that nearly half of all black and minority-ethnic disabled people live in poverty, which is staggering. Given this extraordinary statistic, will the Minister agree to meet Scope and the Equalities National Council to discuss this point and look at how impact assessments can be improved in the future so that black disabled children in Britain do not have a 50% chance of growing up in poverty?
Baroness Hanham: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that. I cannot give an absolute commitment myself because this goes further than the Department for Communities and Local Government, but I will see who the right person would be and I am sure that I will be able to give a commitment on their behalf that that meeting will take place.
Hansard Link: Disability: Black and Minority-ethnic Disabled People
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Baroness King of Bow: I welcome the Government's efforts to improve the life chances of our most vulnerable children, but does the Minister share my concern that adoption of children with more complex needs-often older children, those who have suffered abuse or neglect-is often delayed because the Government will not provide funding for post-adoption services? Instead, we say to adopters, "You pick up the pieces. You look after a difficult child no one else will take and you pay for their specialist medical health requirements". Will the Government and the Minister review that funding policy so that we give our most vulnerable children the chance of a loving home?
Hansard Link: Adoption (2 contributions)
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Baroness King of Bow: My Lords, following on from the noble Baroness's point, is the Minister aware of Asylum Aid research which stated that there was a "striking failure" of understanding what was happening to these women on the part of those making the decisions? Would the Minister be prepared to meet me and other interested Peers to discuss how the UKBA training could be improved? Women deserve better than they are currently getting.
Hansard Link: Asylum Seekers
