The Government monitors UK corporates’ performance on an ongoing basis. Profits as a share of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for UK private non-financial corporations excluding firms in the UK Continental Shelf have been relatively stable since 2000.

The government is committed to providing a world class education system for all children and has invested significantly in education to achieve that.

School funding is rising to £59.6 billion, from this April, meaning schools will be funded at their highest ever level in real terms per pupil. The government invested an additional £2 billion for both this year and next, announced at the 2022 Autumn Statement. As well as extra funding for the 2023 teachers’ pay award, ensuring it was properly funded.

Announcements will be made in the usual way and further details will be set out shortly.

The government will continue to provide updated delivery and financial assessments of HS2 at key decision points for the programme, as has been done to date. Updated analysis will consider any impacts caused by inflationary and cost pressures.

The department has made no recent direct assessment on the effect of inflation on the cost of uniforms, but we know expensive uniforms can create a financial burden for parents. The government is clear that school uniform should be affordable. No school uniform should be so expensive that pupils or their families feel unable to apply to or attend a school of their choice.

In November 2021, the department issued new statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms, to ensure their cost is reasonable and secures the best value for money for parents. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms.

The department understands that many people are worried about the impact of rising prices, with many households struggling to make their income stretch to cover the basics. It is therefore even more important that schools give careful consideration to the cost of their uniform and follow the guidance to ensure best value for money for parents.

The Department’s analysis of the cost increases that schools face is published annually in the school costs note, and it includes the impact of inflation. That was last published in March, and we will continue to publish it annually.

More broadly, it is important to recognise the additional money—the £4 billion that I have talked about numerous times—going in this year on the back of published figures that show that, at the end of the last academic year, 97% of academy trusts were in cumulative surplus or breaking even, and 92% of local authority maintained schools were in that situation. That was, in both cases, an improvement on the year before.

The department spends around £600 million per year ensuring around 1.3 million infants enjoy a free, healthy, and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the universal infant free school meal policy in 2014. The per meal rate of £2.34 per child was increased in the 2020/21 financial year. The funding rate for the 2022/23 financial year will be published with the funding allocations in June.

The department holds regular meetings with other government departments and with food industry representatives, covering a variety of issues including public sector food supplies. Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty. We are confident that schools will continue providing pupils with nutritious school meals as required by the school food standards.

We routinely consider contingency arrangements and expect schools and catering companies supplying them to do the same.

The department spends around £600 million per year ensuring around 1.3 million infants enjoy a free, healthy, and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the universal infant free school meal policy in 2014. The per meal rate of £2.34 per child was increased in the 2020/21 financial year. The funding rate for the 2022/23 financial year will be published with the funding allocations in June.

The department holds regular meetings with other government departments and with food industry representatives, covering a variety of issues including public sector food supplies. Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty. We are confident that schools will continue providing pupils with nutritious school meals as required by the school food standards.

We routinely consider contingency arrangements and expect schools and catering companies supplying them to do the same.