Labour demands free school meals extended over February half term next week
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Labour has today demanded that the Government “do the right thing”
and extend free school meals over the February half term next week.
Warning that Ministers only have one more day left to extend free
school meals and ensure that no child goes hungry over half term,
Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, who was reliant on free
school meals when she was growing up, has accused the Prime
Minister of “rank hypocrisy” in leaving children at risk of going
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Labour has today demanded that the Government “do the right thing” and extend free school meals over the February half term next week. Warning that Ministers only have one more day left to extend free school meals and ensure that no child goes hungry over half term, Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, who was reliant on free school meals when she was growing up, has accused the Prime Minister of “rank hypocrisy” in leaving children at risk of going hungry after condemning the disgracefully inadequate food parcels being offered to children eligible for free school meals by private providers. The call comes ahead of Rayner virtually visiting West Ham United Foundation today (Thursday) and hearing from families in Essex who have been reliant on the club’s Holiday Hunger programme and food parcels during the school holidays.
The Government has refused to extend free school meals over the
February half term, saying that millions of families and children
can instead rely on the Covid Winter Support Grant funding.
However, the Government’s own guidance clearly states that the
Covid Winter Support Grant Scheme “is not intended to replicate
or replace free school meals”. Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Deputy Leader, said: “Time is running out and ministers must do the right thing today to make sure that no child goes hungry on Monday when the half term holidays start. “It is rank hypocrisy for the Prime Minister to condemn the disgraceful food parcels that hungry children have been given a few weeks ago only to now leave those very same children without free school meals during the school holidays. “The Government’s own guidance is clear – relying on the Covid Winter Support Grant will not guarantee that every child who is eligible for free school meals will be fed during half term. On the Government’s own terms Ministers are leaving our children at risk of going hungry on Monday. “The fact the Conservatives have handed £2 billion in taxpayers’ money to donors and cronies and refused to make sure that no child goes hungry during this pandemic shows they have completely the wrong priorities.” Ends Notes to editors 1. “Schools do not need to provide lunch parcels or vouchers during the February half-term.” 2. The Government has said the Covid Winter Grant funding can be used to provide free school meals support for children, but guidance for the grant states: Source: “The COVID Winter Grant Scheme is not intended to replicate or replace free school meals and authorities should avoid duplicating provision where possible.” https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-winter-grant-scheme/covid-winter-grant-scheme-guidance-for-local-councils#establishing-eligibility 3. At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 13 January Boris Johnson said, regarding the food parcels seen on social media: “I don’t think anybody in this House is happy with the disgraceful images we’ve seen of the food parcels that have been offered. They are appalling, they are an insult to the families that have received them.” Source: https://twitter.com/danbloom1/status/1349328989647679488 4. However, the food parcels appeared to be largely consistent with the Government’s own guidance on what the parcels need to contain. 5. Last month Labour forced a vote in Parliament to guarantee children receive the full value of the free school meals scheme, including during school holidays, yet the Government whipped Conservative MPs to abstain on the motion and Ministers are still refusing to act to make sure children are fed over the half term break. 6. The amount of money spent on contracts awarded to companies linked to the Conservative Party could pay for free school meals for all eligible pupils for over 3 years.
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