More spending challenges to come, warns Drakeford

The Welsh government has faced criticism following its decision to scrap free school meals during the school holidays

More "difficult decisions" face the Welsh government over the next year, First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned.

The Welsh government has faced criticism following its decision to scrap free school meals during the school holidays.

He said that even if the money to fund the scheme was "miraculously to appear at this stage," it would be too late to make the necessary arrangements in time for the next school break.

In April 2020, Wales became the first part of the UK to offer free school meals for children from lower-income households during the holiday.

The policy, which was introduced as a result of Covid, was subsequently extended beyond the pandemic and up until the end of the last half-term break.

But ministers said the £15m it would cost to extend the scheme through the upcoming summer holiday wasn't available.

The Welsh government is spending £260m offering all primary school children free meals in schools over the next three years, even if they come from higher income households.

Mark Drakeford: "There's going to be some very, very difficult decisions about how we manage to carry on doing the things we want to do with the money that we have"

Asked if this was the best use of the government’s limited budget, or whether cash could instead be targeted towards poorer children including free meals over the summer holidays, Mr Drakeford said a universal approach was important to stop children facing "stigma and shame" in school.

He told the BBC Politics Wales programme: "In the long run it will do such an important job in bringing those young people in our primary schools to have a healthy diet, to socialise with one another, and to do all of that [while] removing that sense of stigma and shame that's prevented young people in Wales in the past from accessing that help that's available to them.

"Of course, we wish we had £15m sitting spare to go on doing what we’ve been able to do during the emergency years of Covid. We don’t."

Stephen Crabb, Conservative MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, has called for more resources to "help families and children through the holiday period"

Earlier this week, Wales' education minister said Plaid Cymru had refused to release money for holiday meals from the budget set aside for the cooperation agreement between Plaid and Labour.

Mr Drakeford said the money set aside for the cooperation deal is "ringfenced" and "even if money was miraculously to appear at this stage, it wouldn't be able to do things in this school holidays".

"You have to pay staff, you have to open kitchens, you have to have food ordered in advance," he said.

"It couldn't be done for this holiday." 

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said the money set aside for the cooperation agreement was "a very small, tiny proportion of total government spending".

Rhun ap Iorwerth has called on the Welsh Government to reverse its decision

And he called on the government to reverse its decision "even at this eleventh hour".

"Welsh government has to be looking at what its priorities are in terms of looking after the poorest children," he said.

"Nothing is more of a priority, and whilst it is late in the day, this is of such importance that government has to be looking in all corners of its budget to see what can be done."

£900m 'less'

Mr Drakeford also told the programme that next year would be "very challenging" with the government's budget worth £900m less in "purchasing power" than when it was first announced.

"It does mean that there's going to be some very, very difficult decisions about how we manage to carry on doing the things we want to do with the money that we have," he added.

"And that £15m for free school meals in the holidays is just an early sign of just how challenging those decisions are going to be."

Stephen Crabb, Conservative MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, said some families faced a "difficult summer holidays coming up".

"If there is a way that resources can be found to help families and children through the holiday period then I obviously would support that," he said.

But he said he had "some sympathy" with the Welsh government given the financial challenges it faced.