1. How much money did the council spend on food expenses in the 2024/25 year to-date? Please include all external catering costs, internally charged costs, and expense claims and provide a breakdown of these costs by month and category.
2. How much money did the council spend on food expenses in each of the following years: 2023/24; 2022/23; 2021/22. Please include all external catering costs, internally charged costs, and expense claims and provide a breakdown of these costs by month and category.
In response to questions 1 and 2, Devon County Council does not hold this information This is because we do not hold this level of detail in our financial system.
We can provide information relating to individual expenses claims, this includes food or meals that have been claimed for.
| Year | Value of food expenses claim |
| 2021/22 | £35,549.88 |
| 2022/23 | £58,262.90 |
| 2023/24 | £60,257.16 |
| 2024/25 | £58,919.31 |
| Grand Total | £212,989.25 |
3. How much did the council spend on initiatives to help children get free meals, whether at school, before/ after school clubs or community initiatives in each of the following years: 2024/25 year to-date, 2023/24; 2022/23; 2021/22.. Please provide a breakdown of these costs by month, category and location (school / club etc).
In response to question 3, the information in the table “School Spend” details the amount spent from the Household Support Fund on food, that being Free School Meal Holiday Vouchers for schools.
School spend
The information in the table below relates to Free School Meal Holiday Vouchers for children at school. The vouchers were provided to cover school holidays for eligible Free School Meal households, regardless of the school they attended. Devon County Council does not hold information broken down by month and location of the school or club.
| 2024/25 to date | £188,505 |
| 2023/24 | £201,570 |
| 2022/23 | £188,085 |
| 2021/22 | £150,540 |
The information in the table “College Spend” details the Household Support Fund payments made to cover holiday periods. Devon County Council does not hold information broken down by month.
College Spend
| Petroc College | Exeter Maths School | Bicton College | Exeter College | Total | |
| 2024/25 to date | £47,850 | £1,830 | £15,825 | £123,000 | £188,505 |
| 2023/24 | £53,535 | £1,530 | £18,975 | £127,530 | £201,570 |
| 2022/23 | £61,470 | £1,335 | £18,885 | £106,395 | £188,085 |
| 2021/22 | £44,370 | £1,260 | £10,035 | £94,875 | £150,540 |
| £728,700 |