MIKE HEDGES WELCOMES WELSH GOVERNMENT MAKING SUPPORT AVIALABLE FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS EVEN IF CHILDREN UNABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL BECAUSE OF SELF ISOLATING

MIKE HEDGES WELCOMES WELSH GOVERNMENT MAKING SUPPORT AVIALABLE FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS EVEN IF CHILDREN UNABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL BECAUSE OF SELF ISOLATING

 

Speaking from his Swansea East Office, Local MS Mike Hedges said.. ‘ as I said in my question, I have long believed that children on free school meals should be supported during the holiday periods because they still have to eat and their parents do not get extra income to feed children during the school holidays.

 

I welcome the news that the Welsh Government is supporting children to access Free school meals if they have to self isolate as a result of the virus.

 

Ensuring children have good quality meals through the day is such an important part of maintaining good health and being able to concentrate on school work; I welcome the initiatives of the Welsh Labour Government to ensure that children can still access their free school meals.’

 

 

 

 

Mike Hedges MS - Can I ask for two oral Government statements—the first one on the provision of free school meals? We've had a number of written statements on the provision, of expanding it, and I'm very pleased with those, but could we have a full statement on exactly where we are? It's well known that my view is that free school meals should go through every holiday and, when children are not in school, they should still get free school meals, because they still have to eat when they're not in school. So, could we have a statement on that

 

 

Rebecca Evans MS - On the first issue, I know Mike Hedges absolutely recognises the vital role that free school meals play in terms of ensuring that children get that healthy meal and don't go hungry during unprecedented times, and particularly so over the course of the summer holidays. Since then, we've made available a further £1.28 million to help local authorities meet the additional costs of free school meals during the first two weeks of the autumn term, when some of the schools are adapting and having that more flexible approach to learning. Again, since then we've agreed funding of at least £420,000 so that those who are in receipt of free school meals will also continue to receive that provision if they aren't able to attend school for any reason, such as having to self-isolate and so on. So, we're trying to make sure that we think of all the different scenarios that children might be affected by.