No free school meals in summer holidays, says Drakeford

Mark Drakeford confirmed the free meals would not be extended over summer

Free school meals will not be extended across the school holidays, Mark Drakeford has confirmed in the Senedd.

The Welsh government had funded the meals during the pandemic and up to last spring.

The first minister said the lack of free school meals "does not mean there is not support".

A backbench Labour MS suggested ministers should discuss amending the co-operation deal with Plaid Cymru to fund holiday meals for the vulnerable.

The Welsh government is working on a number of policies with Plaid, including on expanding free childcare and rolling out free school meals to all primary school pupils.

Plaid Cymru said the decision was "disappointing and has left parents will little time to plan ahead".

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The Welsh government 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 there.

Meanwhile, Caerphilly council has announced it will use its reserves to feed vulnerable children over summer.

The first minister was responding to Caerphilly Labour MS Hefin David on Tuesday who called for other councils to follow the local authority's example.

Mr David also asked whether the Welsh government would consider funding the scheme across Wales, like it did last year.

Mr Drakeford said the lack of free school meals "does not mean there is not support there for young people".

'No underspends left in budget'

The Welsh government was able to extend the free school meals scheme into the summer holidays previously, because of an "underspend" in the budget "which is part of the co-operation agreement" with Plaid Cymru, the first minister told the Senedd.

He said while "there are no underspends left in that budget to deploy for that purpose", the government was "always involved in discussions" with their Plaid Cymru colleagues to find the best way of using their available budget.

Hefin David called for other local authorities to follow Caerphilly council's example.

In a BBC Wales interview Hefin David said he "perfectly" understood that the Welsh government was "struggling at the moment" to find the budget for free school meals during the holidays.

But he added: "I think it would be interesting for Plaid Cymru to re-look at the co-operation deal and say, is there any money in there that can be put towards additional support for the most vulnerable during school holidays?"

"I think it's important that children across Wales, particularly those most vulnerable, have that opportunity during those times when school isn't in session, which is 12 or 13 weeks a year, and I think that is in the gift in part at least of the co-operation agreement."

Plaid Cymru spokesperson for social justice Sioned Williams said: "The commitment within the co-operation agreement relates to free school meals provision for all primary school children within term time. This universal provision is proving to be a huge help for families across Wales.

"The decision to cut free school meals support to eligible children over the summer holidays without prior notice was disappointing and has left parents will little time to plan ahead as they struggle to make alternative arrangements or save to cover the costs themselves."