Free school meals in Wales: Labour backbenchers blast snub

A budget amendment would have seen free school meals extended to families receiving Universal Credit

More children in Wales should get free school meals, backbench Labour Senedd members have said.

A Plaid Cymru amendment to next year's draft budget was voted down in a debate in the Senedd on Tuesday.

It would have seen free school meals extended to all pupils whose families receive Universal Credit, which First Minister Mark Drakeford has resisted.

But Labour Member of the Senedd (MS) Alun Davies said the Welsh Government was on the "wrong side" of the debate.

Ministers should "commit to looking at" the proposal "and looking at how much it's going to cost and where the money is going to come from", Labour MS Mike Hedges added.

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The amendment said the extra costs could be paid for out of funds the Welsh Government has set aside to combat coronavirus.

Mr Davies said the amendment was "broadly right", adding: "The government is on the wrong side of this argument and I hope that the government will recognise that and I hope that the government will, in returning to the chamber, recognise its position is neither sustainable nor credible on that particular matter."

Rebecca Evans says any proposal should be within current "budgetary constraints"

Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said: "I hope those colleagues who have talked on this issue today will be supporting our budget when we come to the final budget.

"I will say it's important that we continue to explore all the options available to us and seek to build on the actions that we've already taken.

"But I do recognise also that it has to be within the context of the budgetary constraints that we are under."

'Trade-offs'

Using money earmarked for fighting the pandemic involved "trade-offs" that could leave less for the NHS or local councils, Ms Evans argued.

"These are the serious decisions and serious choices we have to make when we are calling for additional funding for parts of the budget," she added.

The Welsh Government has extended free school meals during the holidays until Easter 2022.

Footballer Marcus Rashford welcomed it as "a great move" when it was announced in December.

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