Universal Free School Meals

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at 1:59 pm on 29 June 2022.

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Photo of Delyth Jewell Delyth Jewell Plaid Cymru 1:59, 29 June 2022

Diolch for that. It's actually revolutionary, isn't it, that universal free school meals will start being rolled out from September in Wales. I'm so proud that this is happening as a result of the co-operation agreement involving Plaid Cymru. I wanted to ask you, Minister, about support being given to local authorities to ensure that schools are able to cope with this change. I'm so thankful to local authorities across Wales for moving so quickly to ensure that the youngest infants will start receiving these meals from September, but there will be logistical challenges: some schools will need to get new kitchens, new staff, maybe find new suppliers. So, could you outline, please, how the Welsh Government is supporting local authorities to make sure that schools can overcome these barriers and that the youngest children can start to receive universal free school meals from September in schools across Wales?