Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham who has long been an advocate for extending free school meals, also pointed out that while expanding breakfast clubs was ‘useful’ she believes increasing lunch provision would have a greater impact on child hunger.
Ahead of the July General Election, The Liberal Democrats announced in their manifesto a plan to extend free school meals to all 900,000 children living in poverty who were missing out.
During a speech in Parliament, Wilson said: “The title of the bill includes children’s wellbeing and child poverty is the key issue hindering the wellbeing of our children in the UK today.
“The shameful legacy of the Conservative Government is one of far too many children going hungry in school. Now we Liberal Democrats have put forward a fully costed plan to extend free school meals to the 900,000 children in poverty up to the age of 18 who are currently excluded.
“It’s disappointing to see the [Labour] Government is not taking this opportunity to ensure that no child goes hungry throughout the school day. A meal at lunchtime might be the only hot meal and nutritious meal some children get and all the evidence shows it helps them to concentrate and learn through the course of the day and achieve better outcomes.
“We must also remember that hunger doesn’t end at [the age of] 11. Breakfast clubs can be useful but expanding lunch provision is a far more ambitious measure and one that would make a greater impact on child hunger.
“The fact is that far too many children who are entitled to claim free school meals aren’t doing so. There are an estimated 470,000 such cases. Not only are those children missing out on the hot meals to which they are entitled the schools are also missing out on the much needed pupil premium funding.”