The Government does not know how much profit was made by a contractor on a much criticised scheme for distributing free school meal vouchers, the official spending watchdog has said.
The National Audit Office carried out an investigation into the running of the voucher scheme in England by the Department for Education and its contractor, Edenred.
i’s education newsletter: news and analysis as schools try to return to normal
After it was launched, schools reported problems getting hold of the vouchers and in contacting Edenred.
The NAO investigation found that demand for the scheme initially outstripped Edenred’s capacity to deliver, with schools and parents both complaining that they could not get timely support. Phone calls to the company’s helpline peaked at 3,940 on 14 April, while the number of emails from schools and parents peaked at 8,878 on 29 April.
Unknown profits
The NAO also said the DfE did not