Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:07 pm on 15 May 2019.
Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. May I thank everyone who has contributed to this important debate on healthy school meals? Of course, tackling the obesity agenda is vital, and one aspect of that is what is taking our attention this afternoon, namely healthy school meals, where, as the Minister has said, habits for life can be developed and built on—if they are good habits, of course.
May I congratulate Jenny Rathbone in the first instance for thinking about this idea and for doing all of the background work in putting forward this debate this afternoon? Thank you also for telling us about all of the activities that are ongoing with the scheme in Flintshire—of course, that was of great interest—and the innovative things going on there. I’m aware of some schools in Swansea where children can order what they want for lunch when they register in the morning, and that is working very well, as well as everything else, because, as Jenny said, this is an issue for the whole school.
And Jenny also emphasised the importance of Soil Association accreditation so that we have that vital standard of provision of the vital foods for our children. That means, of course, responsible procurement in the first instance that acknowledges health needs and environmental needs, indeed, including responsible local procurement, where that is possible.
And, of course, Jenny also emphasised the importance of the availability of water, free of charge and easily accessible, and the Minister also emphasised the importance of that. That is fundamental. Free, clean water: it is a statutory requirement. It should be happening. And we heard, of course, the communication back and forth about whether this is happening in all schools—I’m sure there will be further details forthcoming on that—but the availability of tap water avoids plastic bottles being used, of course, and avoids the need to purchase sugary drinks. So, those two issues are fundamentally important. We understand that; everybody understands that now, I would imagine, and we need to guarantee that clean water is available, free of charge, in every school, as the Minister has told us.