Caring Cooks

WQ.10/2020

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION BY DEPUTY J.H. PERCHARD OF ST. SAVIOUR

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 21st JANUARY 2020

Question

Further to the answer to Written Question 458/2019, will the Minister state –

1. how the evidence referred to in paragraph (a) was gathered, providing a list of the evidence in question;
2. who agreed that a business case should be prepared for the pilot;
3. for what reasons Caring Cooks was selected to enter into discussions with officers about the likely costs of the practical implementation of the pilot; and
4. what "elements required in the practical delivery of such a pilot" were identified in those discussions, and how much each will cost?

Answer

1. The evidence was gathered as part of a paper setting out to review the literature with the purpose of understanding the potential of school meals as a basis to promote healthy and sustainable food behaviours in children. The following list of references were cited in the paper:

1 Oostindjer, M., Aschemann-Witzel, J., Wang, Q., Skuland, S.E., Egelandsdal, B., Amdam, G.V., Schjøll, A., Pachucki, M.C., Rozin, P., Stein, J. and Lengard Almli, V., 2017. Are school meals a viable and sustainable tool to improve the healthiness and sustainability of children´ s

diet and food consumption? A cross-national comparative perspective. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 57(18), pp.3942- 3958.

1 Gregory, J. & Lowe, S. 2000, National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Young people aged 4 - 18 years, The Stationery Office, London.

1 Jefferson A, Cowbrough K (2004). School Lunch Box Survey 2004.Community Nutrition Group and Food Standards Agency:London.

1 Rees, G.A., Richards, C.J. and Gregory, J., 2008. Food and nutrient intakes of primary school children: a comparison of school meals and packed lunches. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 21(5), pp.420-427.

1 Rogers, I.S., Ness, A.R., Hebditch, K., Jones, L.R. and Emmett, P.M., 2007. Quality of food eaten in English primary schools: school dinners vs packed lunches. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61(7), p.856.

1 Rees, G.A., Richards, C.J. and Gregory, J., 2008. Food and nutrient intakes of primary school children: a comparison of school meals and packed lunches. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 21(5), pp.420-427.

1 Rogers, I.S., Ness, A.R., Hebditch, K., Jones, L.R. and Emmett, P.M., 2007. Quality of food eaten in English primary schools: school dinners vs packed lunches. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61(7), p.856.

1 JOLS 2107

1 Birch, L.L., 1980. Effects of peer models' food choices and eating behaviors on schoolers' food preferences. Child development, pp.489- 496.

1 De Sa, J. and Lock, K. (2008). Will European agricultural policy forschool fruit and vegetables improve public health? A review ofschool fruit and vegetable programmes. Eur. J. Public Health.18:558–568.

1 Kristjansson, B., Petticrew, M. and MacDonald, B. (2007). School feedingfor improving the physical and psychosocial health of disadvantagedstudents. Cochrane Lib. 1

1 Greenhalgh, T., Kristjansson, E. and Robinson, V. (2007) Realist review to understand the efficacy of school feeding programmes. BMJ. 335:858–861.

1 Van Cauwenberghe, E., Maes, L., Spittaels, H., van Lenthe, F. J., Brug, J.,Oppert, J. M. and De Bourdeaudhuij, I. (2010).Effectiveness ofschool-based interventions in Europe to promote healthy nutrition inchildren and adolescents: systematic review of published and "grey" literature.Br. J. Nutr. 103:781–797.

1Spence, S., Delve, J., Stamp, E., Matthews, J. N. S., White, M., Adamson, A.J. and Brennan, L. (2013). The impact of food and nutrient- basedstandards on primary school children's lunch and total dietary intake:A natural experimental evaluation of government policy in

England. PLoS ONE. 8:e78298.

1 Nelson, M., Gibson, K. and Nicholas, J., 2015. School lunch take up and attainment in primary and secondary schools in England. Frontiers in public health, 3, p.230.

1Kitchen S, Tanner E, Brown V, Payne C, Crawford C, Dearden L, et al. Evaluation of the Free School Meals Pilot. Impact Report. Ref: DFE- RR227. London: Department for Education; (2013). Available from:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/184047/DFE-RR227.pdf

1Hinrichs P. The Effects of the National School Lunch Program on Education and Health. Washington, DC: Georgetown Public Policy Institute; (2010).

1 Institute for Social and Economic Research. Belot M, James J. Healthy School Meals and Educational Outcomes (2009). Available from: http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/files/iser_working_papers/2009-01.pdf

1 Belot M, James J. Healthy school meals and educational outcomes. J Health Econ (2011) 30(3):489– 504.10.1016/j.jhealeco.2011.02.003

1 Blair, T. (2006) Our Nation's Future – PublicHealth (Public Lecture, 26 July). Available at:http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page12060.

1 H.M. Treasury (2007a) PSA Delivery Agreement12: Improve the Health and Wellbeing ofChildren and Young People HMSO: London.Available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr_csr07_psa12.pdf

1 Pike, J. and Colquhoun, D., 2009. The relationship between policy and place: The role of school meals in addressing health inequalities. Health Sociology Review, 18(1), pp.50-60.

1 Passmore, S. and Harris , G., 2004. Education, health and school meals: a review of policy changes in England and Wales over the last century. Nutrition Bulletin, 29(3), pp.221-227. H.M. Treasury (2007a) PSA Delivery Agreement12: Improve the Health and Wellbeing ofChildren and Young People HMSO: London.Available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr_csr07_psa12.pdf

1 Passmore, S. and Harris , G., 2004. Education, health and school meals: a review of policy changes in England and Wales over

1 Nicholas, J., Wood, L. and Nelson, M., 2007. Second annual survey of take-up of school meals in England. London: School Food Trust.

1 Chambers, S.; Ford, A.; Boydell, N.; Moore , L.; Stead, M.; Eadie, D. Universal free school meals in Scotland: A process evaluation of implementation and uptake. Eur. J. Public Health 2016, 26, ckw169

1 Spence, S.; Delve, J.; Stamp, E.; Matthews, J.N.; White, M.; Adamson, A.J. Did school food and nutrient-based standards in England impact on 11–12Y olds nutrient intake at lunchtime and in total diet? Repeat cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE 2014, 9, e112648

1 Golley, R.; Pearce, J.; Nelson, M. Children's lunchtime food choices following the introduction of food-based standards for school meals: Observations from six primary schools in sheffield. Public Health Nutr. 2011, 14, 271–278.

1 Adamson, A.; Spence, S.; Reed, L.; Conway, R.; Palmer, A.; Stewart, E.; McBratney, J.; Carter, L.; Beattie, S.; Nelson, M. School food standards in the UK: Implementation and evaluation. Public Health Nutr. 2013, 16, 968–981.

1 Belot, M.; James, J. Healthy school meals and educational outcomes. J. Health Econom. 2011, 30, 489–504

1 Department for Education. Available online: www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-free-school-meals-pilot-impact- report

1 Nielsen, T., Nölting, B., Kristensen, N. H. and Løes A.-K. (2009). A comparative study of the implementation of organic food in school meal systems in four European countries. Bioforsk Report. 2009;4. iPOPY discussion paper 3/2009. Norway: Bioforsk. Available at http://orgprints.org/16670/1/16670.pdf

1 Løes, A.-K. and Nölting, B. (2011). Increasing organic consumption through schoolmealslessons learned in the iPOPY project. Org. Agr. 1:91–110

1 Guthrie, J. F. and Buzby, J. C. (2002). Several strategies may lower plate waste in school feeding programs. Food Rev. 25:36–42 1Kristjansson, B., Petticrew, M. and MacDonald, B. (2007). School feeding for improving the physical and psychosocial health of disadvantaged students. Cochrane Lib. 1

2. It was agreed by the Minister and Senior Officers that a business case for the pilot would be required to obtain the funding from Investment Appraisal Board (IAB) and submitted in accordance with the Government's process.
3. It has been a Government objective for some time, as identified in the Food and Nutrition Strategy 2017. However, we had been unable to find or develop a model that would work with the limited infrastructure at Primary schools. Caring Cooks was already providing a service as part of the Food and Nutrition Strategy with programmes wrapped with an educational programme – Let's Get Growing and Let's Get Cooking, both of which supported strategic objectives for the Island. The pilot scheme is a natural progression of these initiatives and the benefits of the model were presented and discussed with the Children's Commissioner, the CEO and the Chief Minister at the time.

Discussions between officers and representatives from Caring Cooks on costs relating to the practical delivery of the pilot were required so that both parties had input into the estimated running costs and budget allocation.

4. As with any pilot the exact costs for set up and project implementation were unknown, and in the early stages (September to December 2019) of the pilot a prime cost sum was allocated for business unit areas:

• Schools fitout for building and equipment works – 25k

• Back office IT for the ordering of food and data analysis – 5.5k

• Food cost – 21k

• Administration - 4k

• Staffing - 36k

• Initial set up costs including equipment and uniforms – 17.5k

Actual costs now form part of our data analysis so that informed decisions can be made at the end of the pilot on whether to continue with this service delivery approach or not.

The Minster would like to extend an invitation to Deputy Perchard to come and see for herself the pilot in full operation, have lunch with the children and witness the benefits and value this pilot is providing.