2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:39 pm on 22 March 2022.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 2:39, 22 March 2022

Minister, I'd like to ask for a statement on school meal standards at Ysgol Dyffryn Taf in Whitland, or rather the lack of standards. Recent reports in the press have shown some pretty disturbing images of undercooked and watery food, including meat, which has been served to pupils in recent weeks. And if that wasn't bad enough, many pupils and parents have said that the portion sizes are tiny, leaving the children hungry. We know how important it is to have a good meal, and a full stomach allows pupils to learn and also to concentrate, and, for some pupils, we also know that this will be their main meal of the day. It's been reported that many pupils have simply been going without lunch due to the poor quality of that food, and, according to the school website, the canteen is run by Carmarthenshire County Council. I understand that the headteacher is in talks with the local authority regarding the issue and hot meals have been suspended for the early part of this week. That, in my opinion, is totally unacceptable and pupils will not be able to access any hot food. It is a serious issue, and raises some serious questions that I would urge the Welsh Government to raise with the school and with the local authority. And it took pupils to share their images and their concerns on social media for them to realise that this food was completely inadequate and, in some cases, arguably, unfit for human consumption. So, following on from this scandal—and it is a scandal—I would also like to request that the Welsh Government makes sure that it's not happening in other schools across Wales, and that pupils are being offered nutritious, high-quality meals that actually are fit for human consumption and also fill them up.