No-deal Brexit: Cardiff schools told to stockpile food
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Kitchen managers in Cardiff schools have been advised to stock up on tinned and dried food
A city's schools are being told to stockpile food for pupils' meals in case of a no-deal Brexit.
Labour-run Cardiff Council has advised them to hold extra stocks of tinned and dried goods in case the UK leaves the EU on 29 March without a trade deal.
Sarah Merry, deputy leader of the council, blamed the "liars who sold Brexit" to the voting public.
The UK government has said school meals will be provided whatever the outcome of Brexit negotiations.
The call comes after major suppliers to care homes and hospitals confirmed they were stockpiling food to offset the potential disruption of a no-deal Brexit, and cold storage firms revealed they were running out of space.
Ms Merry tweeted to say the council was "seriously discussing stockpiling dried and tinned goods to maintain school meals".
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A Cardiff Council spokeswoman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "As part of contingency plans to prepare for a no-deal Brexit, kitchen managers in schools have been advised to hold additional stock of tinned and dried goods."
Conservative group leader Adrian Robson accused Ms Merry of being "alarmist".
"I don't think stockpiling is necessary," he said.
"The world is not going to end if Britain leaves the UK without a deal."
A spokesman for the UK government's Department for Exiting the European Union said: "There is no need for anyone to stockpile food.
"Schools will continue to be able to provide pupils with nutritious school meals no matter the outcome of Brexit."
The Welsh Local Government Association, which represents the nation's 22 county and county borough councils, said meals would be provided in schools "as normal".
"The majority of school meals are provided by local authority catering services and early indications are that plans are in place to deal with any disruption to food supplies in the event of a no-deal Brexit," a spokesman said.
MPs rejected the idea of a no-deal Brexit in a Commons vote on Wednesday.
However, Prime Minister Theresa May warned that by law Brexit was still set to happen on 29 March whether a deal was agreed or not.
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