There's a growing and vocal movement in favour of expanding free school meals in Wales. I met with representatives of the anti-poverty coalition last week. The frustration at the growing levels of child poverty and the determination to see this stain on our society addressed made a very deep impression on me. This broad-ranging and passionate support for expanded free school meals provision comes from an array of organisations in Wales and beyond. There is also support within groups affiliated with your own Labour movement. Constituency Labour parties, Labour groups and trade union branches are passing motions and making calls. Again the question: what is stopping Welsh Government from responding to this ever growing chorus of disapproval and following the evidence?

When we have brought this case to the Government, as we have done on many occasions, we have been told that the barrier is cost. But that cost is a relatively modest one, certainly when the outcome is such an important one. The Wales anti-poverty coalition estimates it would cost an additional £10.5 million annually. That's a mere 0.06 per cent of the total revenue budget of the Government. Even if every child received a free school meal, the cost would be £140.7 million. That's still less than 1 per cent of the Welsh Government’s total revenue budget. In addition to the increased revenue cost, expanded provision would also lead to some additional capital costs, but there are some practical workarounds that would allow this investment to be spread over time and allow eligibility to be expanded before the investment has been completed.

Another factor that seems to be preventing the Welsh Government from acting is the cost implications for other policies, which are far greater than the costs directly associated with expanding provision of free school meals. However, there are easy amendments that could be made to these policies to ensure that they still deliver the support they were designed for, even if they are decoupled from free school meals. The use of FSM as an indicator for determining how funds are allocated to local authorities and schools is therefore not a hurdle to expanding eligibility.

Expanding eligibility to all children whose families receive universal credit is thus achievable, and it can be done reasonably swiftly. Given the enormous benefits that such a change would provide to families across Wales, and given the deepening poverty crisis, this is the time to act. Do we really mean it when we say we want a fairer Wales? Now is the time to ask ourselves that question. So, what's stopping the Welsh Government? Will you support the motion today and take action, and, if you don't, will you be able to look in the mirror tomorrow? Diolch.