Easter vouchers will ensure no child goes hungry, minister says

Some in Tynwald said vouchers were not a long-term solution to holiday hunger

Isle of Man families will receive food vouchers for the Easter school holidays so "no child goes hungry" as bills rise, the education minister has said.

Tynwald backed the government's plan to help more than 2,000 students who receive free school meals.

Julie Edge said two vouchers, worth about £23 for primary school pupils and £30 for those at secondary school, will be issued this week.

However, Anne Corlett MHK branded the move a "short-term fix".

The vouchers will cover the period between 11 and 24 April.

Although she voted in favour of the move, Ms Corlett said she was "far from convinced" meal vouchers were the right approach to dealing with the underlying issues of holiday hunger.

"Trying to address the problem by simply assuming that those eligible for free school meals is a blanket indicator to determine who needs help is simply wrong, it is more complicated than that," she added.

That was echoed by Jason Moorhouse MHK who said many families, who were also in need of help due to rising costs but were not eligible for free school meals, would not benefit from the move.

Michelle Haywood MHK questioned if there had been any "forward planning" by the government given fuel bill hikes had been expected, and called for assurances that Tynwald would not be meeting to vote on vouchers before the TT and summer holidays.

In response Ms Edge said the Cabinet Office was currently developing a holiday hunger scheme, as part of a longer-term solution.

She said the Easter vouchers were urgently needed as support for families planned by the Treasury in response to a 58% in gas bills hike would not have been available until May.