Member

Amendment 184 tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Agnew, and introduced by the noble Baroness, Lady Penn, seeks to probe the cost of free breakfast clubs and how that will be met. I recognise the intent behind this amendment: no one wants schools left out of pocket. We have been clear that we do not expect teachers to run breakfast clubs, which is why we have tripled investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million for the financial year 2025-26. Early adopters have already received a start-up grant to support the setting up of their breakfast clubs and will receive additional funding to cover food delivery and staffing costs. The amount that schools receive is dependent on take-up of the breakfast club and school characteristics. From the early implementation, we have learned that targeted funding works best when it is adaptable, allowing schools to tailor resources to their needs and build on what is already in place, and we will continue to learn as this scheme develops. I can assure noble Lords that we are committed to supporting schools properly but through flexible funding, not rigid statutory guarantees that assume a particular model of delivery. Further information about funding for the national rollout will follow in due course.