Concern in Welsh Labour over end to free holiday meals

More Welsh Labour politicians have expressed concerns over a Welsh government decision not to provide free school meals in the summer holidays.

Mike Hedges, MS for Swansea East, said "feeding children who are poor has to be a priority for a Labour government".

A "shocked" Welsh Labour MP has also called for the decision to be reversed.

In the Senedd Education Minister Jeremy Miles appeared to blame Plaid Cymru for not agreeing to find funds in the co-operation deal to continue the scheme.

Plaid Cymru said budget allocated to the co-operation deal, which includes a pledge to boost free school meals provision, is a "tiny proportion of the Welsh government's overall spending".

Both Plaid and the Welsh Conservatives expressed alarm over the move in the Welsh Parliament on Wednesday.

An estimate has been given by some MSs to continue the policy of £15m, which one politician suggested would cover the summer holiday.

Wales began funding free school meals in the holidays for eligible families during the pandemic, a move previously praised by footballer Marcus Rashford.

The scheme was repeatedly extended - most recently into last April and May.

On Tuesday First Minister Mark Drakeford said free school meals will not be extended across the school holidays.

The Welsh government has said the provision had been a "time-limited crisis intervention in response to the pandemic", and Mr Drakeford said the budget that had been previously available was not now.

In the Senedd on Wednesday, Mr Hedges said: "I do not understand why £4m can be found for a zip wire run by a private company in my constituency, rather than feeding children in families in need.

Acknowledging it was late for the government to change course, he urged ministers to ask councils to fund free meals this summer from reserves, paying for them in next year's budget.

"Feeding children who are poor has to be a priority for Labour government", he said.

Jeremy Miles said he shared his "priority", but referred to figures stated by the First Minister on Tuesday that the Welsh government budget was "worth up to £900m less in real terms" than in October 2021.

"As a consequence of that it is impossible for any government to proceed with no impact on people's lives," he said.

On Tuesday Beth Winter, Labour MP for Cynon Valley tweeted that she was "shocked by the sudden decision to cut" holiday free school meals.

"Today I have written to Jeremy Miles and asked that Welsh government reverse the decision to cut holiday FSMs and uniform grants."

Labour's Caerphilly MS Hefin David had also expressed concerns earlier in July, calling for a "review" of the "current policy of universal free-for-all school meal provision during term time versus a policy of free school meals during both term and holiday time for those that need them".

But speaking earlier this week he focused his criticism on Plaid Cymru, rather than the government, saying the party should "re-look at the co-operation deal" to find extra cash.

Mr Hedges spoke during a topical question on the issue raised by Plaid Cymru's Sioned Williams.

She said her party agrees with the views of the Children's Commissioner Rocio Cifuentes that "this decision will result in children going hungry in the coming weeks".

Mr Miles told the Senedd that a previous extension had been funded by the budget for the co-operation agreement.

"This time we again asked Plaid if we could try together to find funds in the cooperation agreement, but Plaid did not wish to do so," the minister said.

He said the government had funded a larger provision summer food and fun schemes, "reaching thousands more children this year".

The Welsh Conservatives' Laura Anne Jones said the announcement "is a surprise to us all".

"You food and fun scheme won't cut the mustard," she said.

Mr Miles replied: "In Conservative England, they are in fact not providing holiday free school meals and they're also not providing universal primary free school meals either."

After the Senedd discussion a Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: "The budget allocated to the joint commitments in the co-operation agreement is a tiny proportion of the Welsh government's overall spending.

"Whilst Plaid Cymru has consistently advocated holiday vouchers for free school meals, this does not form part of the co-operation programme agreed with Labour, and the recent decision to stop provision during the holidays was not taken by Plaid Cymru or as part of the agreement."