North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has asked the First Minister to respond to North Wales calls for cash to be allocated to parents and carers whose children are eligible for free school meals amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taking part in this week’s virtual Plenary session of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood highlighted the concerns of Wrexham based TCC, Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru - Together Creating Communities, that the current grab-and-go system is putting people at risk and that a voucher system will problematic for some families, and questioned the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, over their call for cash to be provided directly to eligible parents or carers.
Speaking via ‘Zoom’ from his home in North Wales, during the ‘Statement by the First Minister: Coronavirus (COVID-19)’, he said:
“How do you respond to the call by TCC, Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru - Together Creating Communities - Wrexham-based but representing a coalition of community bodies across North East Wales, regarding provision of free school meals for eligible pupils during the crisis?
“They’re asking for cash to be provided directly to parents or carers so that they can freely purchase food for their families, where they believe the grab-and-go systems are forcing the poorest families to take unnecessary risks, the voucher scheme in England doesn’t include all supermarket chains and they’re concerned the voucher scheme in Wales may mean that supermarkets are not accessible for all families in receipt of free school meals, and they believe the provision of cash allows for shopping to be done at local shops, supporting social distancing by reducing the need to travel to supermarkets.”
Mark Drakeford replied:
“On cash for free school meals, well, of course I agree entirely with that principle. I would rather the families had the money they needed to be able to provide food for their children. The right way to do it is through child benefits. The UK Government should agree that in these circumstances they will put an extra amount of money in the child benefit that goes with the child that lands in those families that need it the most and would allow them to do it.
“In Wales, we will move to a system where a sum will be provided through vouchers. There will be a BACS transfer of money from the Welsh Government to those families where that is feasible. Personally, I continue to believe that there will be a need for some residual direct provision. We know that there are some families whose circumstances are so difficult and where parents struggle so much with other issues in their lives that we could not be absolutely confident that money going into that household would find its way into food for children. For some very vulnerable children, I think there may still be the need for some residual system in which we can be confident that food itself is being provided, so that those children can be sure of being able to eat.”
Mr Isherwood added: “The Welsh Government has had its full share of the extra billions announced by the UK Chancellor during the coronavirus pandemic and my question to the First Minister was about how money from the Welsh Government will be allocated. He appeared to contradict himself once he moved on to answer the question I actually asked”.
ENDS
