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Written question asked by Wendy Morton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 10 September 2026. It was answered by Paul Waugh (Labour) on Wednesday, 16 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Holiday Activities and Food Programme: Walsall

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Department has made of whether Walsall Council’s Holiday Activities and Food programme allocation for 2026–27 will be sufficient to meet local demand; and whether additional support will be available if the number of eligible children or the cost of delivering holiday provision exceeds the assumptions used to determine that allocation.

Answer

Over £600 million has been confirmed for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme over the three financial years from 2026/27. HAF funding is now provided through the Children, Families and Youth Grant, ringfenced to protect programme spend. Local authority allocations, which continue to be calculated using free school meal (FSM) data, have been confirmed for the 3-year settlement, providing local authorities with greater certainty and supporting planning and investment.

HAF remains a targeted programme to support children facing the greatest disadvantage. Local authorities have flexibility to use a proportion of their allocation to support other children who may benefit from the programme in line with local needs and priorities.

From September 2026, FSM eligibility expanded to include all households in receipt of Universal Credit, creating two categories of FSM: targeted and expanded. HAF eligibility remains aligned with the targeted FSM threshold. The department is monitoring implementation of these changes and will continue to gather relevant data. No definitive constituency level estimates currently exist due to unavailability of the necessary data. We will continue to work with local authorities to monitor HAF participation, engage eligible families and support delivery. The government has also committed to a full evaluation of FSM expansion, which will consider its impact and uptake.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
27947
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Costs Government assistance Walsall Walsall Council Holiday activities and food programme
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk