P-06-1178 Free school meals for all pupils in Wales

 

This petition was submitted Adam Johannes, having collected a total of 980 signatures.

 

Text of Petition:                     

We call upon Welsh Government to immediately

 

- Amend the eligibility criteria for Free School Meals so that any child in any family receiving Universal Credit or equivalent benefit is eligible.

 

- Permanently extend free school meal entitlements to families with no recourse to public funds

 

- Introduce universal infant free school meals across Wales

 

As the first step towards implementing universal provision of nutritious free school meals for all school-aged children in Wales.

 

Additional Information:

Every school-age pupil in Wales deserves the right to nutritious free school meals.

 

According to Child Poverty Action Group over half of children living below the UK poverty line in Wales (over 70,000) are not currently eligible for free school meals. This is not acceptable.

 

Free schools meals help struggling families, reduce stigma and inequality, and improve children’s health and wellbeing.

 

We believe the benefits of universal free school meals for all school-aged children in Wales will include

 

- Reducing poverty and inequality

- Helping family budgets and home life

- Boosting learning and education attainment

- Raising concentration levels of pupils throughout the day

- Creating bonds in the dinner hall through shared meal experiences

- Improving health inequalities among children

- Reducing obesity

- Increasing free school meals uptake by reducing stigma associated with means tested benefits.

 

 

 

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 10/01/2022.

 

The Committee warmly congratulated the petitioner on a successful outcome, with the Welsh Government in co-operation with Plaid Cymru making a commitment to provide free school meals for all primary school children. Whilst the petitioner’s overarching call is for all school pupils to be provided with free school meals, this is a significant step in achieving that ambition.

It was agreed that in response to further questions raised by the petitioner, answers which are in the public domain would be collated and sent to the petitioner.

 

The Committee agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

 

Full details of the consideration of this petition by the Committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 13/09/2021.

 

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Cardiff Central
• South Wales Central

 

Further information

• The Petitions Committee homepage
• View all open petitions
• View all petitions the committee is currently considering
• How the petitions system works