3. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:05 pm on 5 March 2019.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 3:05, 5 March 2019

I'd just like to return to the issue of the children's commissioner's report on protecting Welsh children from the impact of poverty. We know that this affects somewhere in the region of a third of all our children, so this is a really major challenge for all of us. I think that, on the one hand, in primary schools we know that many children who need that free school breakfast are not getting it, because the places are quickly filled by those who are using the school breakfast as free childcare, and that's a big challenge for headteachers—to ensure that the right people are getting priority for that. But in our secondary schools, the picture painted by the children's commissioner is very concerning, because there we have a cafeteria system of school meals where, frankly, the catering companies are endeavouring to maximise the income from children. This is impacting not just on those on free school meals, but those who are struggling financially because of low wages. I know, because I have seen it myself, that some schools actually do not provide tap water in the dining room and they are promoting these drinks in plastic bottles. I cannot understand how this has any place in the 'Appetite for Life' guidelines.

I would like to call for two responses immediately from the Government, prior to us debating this report. One is that I would like to ask if the Minister for local government could write to all local authorities and ask that they monitor exactly what's going on in each of their secondary schools. There are fewer than 20 schools in Cardiff, which is the largest local authority, so this is perfectly doable. Either they are ignorant or they are complicit in what is going on in terms of promoting products that will maximise income as opposed to what nourishes children.

Secondly, I'd like a statement from the education Minister to clarify exactly who is supposed to be monitoring the standard of school meals, which in my view does not meet the nutritional requirements for children. We are seeing children on free school meals who are simply using it to buy chips with curry sauce on a Friday, and that is not a nutritional meal.