Labour will force a vote in the House of Commons on Monday
demanding that the Government deliver more support for families
while schools and colleges are closed to most pupils. Labour is
demanding the Government guarantee that children will receive the
full value of free school meals support including in the school
holidays, and set a date by which every pupil will have the
equipment needed to learn remotely.
Yesterday the Government said that children will not receive Free
School Meals over February half-term despite previously being
shamed into providing them over the Christmas holidays. Transport
Secretary has claimed that other funding could be used for
half-term, despite conditions on this fund stating should not
replace Free School Meals.
This follows the revelation from Labour that the Government’s
recommended food parcel is near identical to the images
circulating on social media which the Prime Minister has
described as “an insult to the families receiving them.”
Labour is also demanding that Education Secretary set a date
by when all pupils will have the laptops and internet access
needed to learn remotely. The Government have previously missed
their own deadlines for delivering access to remote learning, and
there are still 600,000 promised laptops and tablets yet to be
delivered to pupils. Until the Government delivers these
resources thousands of students are unable to learn remotely
during lockdown, causing them to fall behind their peers.
, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Education,
said:
“The Government’s failure to control the spread of the pandemic
is putting intolerable strain on families in lockdown.
“Parents are desperately trying to do their best for their
children, stopping them from going hungry and keeping them
learning, but ten months into this pandemic the Government has
still not provided the support these families need.
“Ensuring that all children are receiving the full value of free
school meals and have the equipment needed to learn remotely
should be a minimum standard, which Conservative MPs will have
the chance to support.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
The motion tabled is as follows:
- That this House believes families need more support during
school and college closures, that those eligible should be
guaranteed to receive the full value of free school meals for the
duration of the school year, including during all holidays and
calls on the Secretary of State for Education to set a deadline
to ensure that every learner has the resources required to learn
remotely and provide a weekly update to Parliament on
implementing this.
- At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 13 January
said, of 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.”
https://twitter.com/danbloom1/status/1349328989647679488
- “Schools do not need to provide lunch parcels or vouchers
during the February half-term.”
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools
- 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:
“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
