The Welsh government has come under criticism for its decision not to allocate funds for free school meals during the Christmas holidays. Lisa, a 38-year-old mother of two from Fochriw in Caerphilly county, believes the provision of free school meals “should have carried on” through the holidays. The Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health (RCPCH) has also criticized the move, describing it as an “own goal” by the Welsh government. The government justified its decision, citing financial pressures as the main concern.
Lisa had received a letter recently notifying her that the free meals would end over Christmas. She expressed concern that many families depended on the meals, often the only balanced meal some children would receive daily, and that food parcels given out in the past had played an important role. Dr Nick Wilkinson of the RCPCH revealed that an increasing number of children were developing conditions linked to an insufficient diet, including type 2 diabetes and tooth extractions.
During the pandemic, the Welsh government had extended free school meal provision into the holidays, before cutting funding in June this year. While some councils decided to support the scheme in the summer, Caerphilly, Gwynedd, and Powys councils have all declined to do so this Christmas because of financial pressures. The Welsh government announced an £11.5m underspend on the universal free school meal scheme in its recent budget cuts, with Plaid Cymru calling for this money to be used for free school meals over the Christmas period.
The Welsh government has declined this request, acknowledging that “Unfortunately, due to the significant financial pressures facing the Welsh budget, it is not possible to reinstate the provision of free school meals.” Anthony Hunt, the leader of Torfaen council, explains that funding the scheme cost £250m over the summer, creating added pressure on what Welsh councils can deliver. The price of providing free school meals over Christmas has been estimated at £6m over two weeks
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