Thank you for raising this important issue, and I have already had some discussions with the education Minister on this issue, and officials will investigate with the WLGA and the local association for catering in education just how widespread this issue is and consider whether we need to be providing additional advice and guidance to local authorities and schools on how to work with families, should these circumstances arise.

I think there are two different circumstances that families might find themselves in. For example, they just forget to top up the money, because life is busy and people forget things, or there could be families who are really, really struggling and unable to pay. So, I think there is a role for schools to understand where this family is in terms of that situation and be able to signpost on to advice, or certainly offer up contact to somebody within the local authority should they know that a family is struggling, and there is support available for them.

But you're point really about not holding children publicly accountable is an important one, because by stigmatising children in any way for unpaid school bills, well, that's completely unacceptable.