Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:55 pm on 21 September 2022.
This winter will be one of the most challenging in the history of devolution, because the cost-of-living crisis will have a brutal and merciless impact on almost everybody, but especially the most vulnerable, without significant state intervention. Education is one of the many places where this crisis will be felt. Some children not covered by our free school meals policy will be going hungry this winter. Have you given any thought to Plaid Cymru's calls to extend the universal free school meals programme as an emergency measure for secondary school children? And, further to your answer to Sioned Williams earlier—that there aren't going to be any further funds available to schools to combat the increased costs—where would you suggest that headteachers cut their budgets in order to keep the lights on?