Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 10:35 am on 24 March 2020.
So, here is a universal benefit that goes to all children, certainly all children who will be entitled to free school meals. I understand vouchers may well have a place to play, but my preferred option is that those families just get money so that they can put food in front of their children while the school system is not operating normally, and we put all of that to the UK Government yesterday. In the meantime, we're making and mending, for now, to try and make sure that, where vouchers are the right answer, we can do that, to support local economies in the way that Siân suggested, and where that isn't possible, to make sure that there is at least food the children can pick up. And even under the new, very strict arrangements that are being put in place as from today, in Wales, children will still be allowed to go to school and collect food if that is the arrangement that is in place there.
As for the point that Siân made, of course, teachers are working very hard to make sure there are online resources, but that will not be sufficient for everybody, and I know that there are plans—. The Minister for Education is working with the sector to find other ways in which those young people for whom that is not a viable way of maintaining their education, that there are other ways in which they can be assisted too.