I obviously support free school meals to all children in state primary schools, and await the plan to extend to secondary schools. The increase in energy costs and food costs will have a devastating effect on children living in low-income families. It is inevitable that some children will be cold and hungry during the next year. Spending a night in a cold bedroom, not being adequately fed and having to do your homework in the same room as the rest of the family, who will be watching entertainment on the television or listening to music, will adversely affect attainment. Many just-managing families today will become not-managing as prices increase and wages do not keep pace. It's at times like this that the loss of Communities First is felt, and the ability it had to provide a place for children to meet and do their homework. We're living in difficult times; we must do all we can to ensure that children are not the ones paying the price.

Just a bit of personal experience, coming from a relatively poor family: you do not bring home the notes given to you about trips; you do not take home notes about the things that are happening in the school; you don't take home notes about musical instruments available to be taught. All it does is upset your parents because they don't have the ability to pay it. You do not go to school on the no-uniform days, because you don't want to ask your parents for a pound in order to not have to wear a uniform. That's what life is like. And that is what life shouldn't be like. I speak from personal experience on this; I don't want other children to go through it.