Councillor Ian Sollom
proposed the following motion, as laid out in the agenda:
“The Council notes:
- That numbers of pupils entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) are
rising fast. Nationally, the percentage of pupils known to be
eligible for free school meals has increased across all schools
from 13.6% in 2018, to 15.4% in 2019 and 17.3% at the beginning of
2020. In South Cambridgeshire District, over 2,400 pupils were
eligible and claiming FSM at the beginning of September, up by over
25% from January 2019, and numbers continue to rise due to the
impact of the pandemic.
- That every child who is entitled to Free School Meals is a sign
of a family under significant financial pressure.
- That this picture of increasing child poverty is supported by
the rapid rise in the number of families dependent on food banks.
The Trussell Trust have reported the period of April to September
to be the busiest half-year period for food banks in the network
since the charity opened, and more than a third of their three-day
emergency food parcels went to children. The Cambridge City
Foodbank has reported a 23% increase in the number of people fed
between March and July compared to last year, included a 28%
increase in the number of children fed.
- That children who are hungry are less able to learn and thrive
at school.
- That the extension of the school meals voucher scheme campaigned
for by Marcus Rashford to cover the period of the summer holiday
was incredibly important and valuable to families in food
poverty.
- That the second lockdown and the continuing rise in unemployment
are likely to lead to further increases in child poverty in the
short term.
- That the economic consequences of the pandemic risks further
increases in child poverty in the longer term.
- That moves by the government to extend support over the
Christmas holiday period and throughout 2021 are a welcome start in
addressing the problems of food poverty, but that more will need to
be done to ensure no child in the UK goes hungry.
“This Council therefore supports the calls by
the Child Food Poverty Task Force, supported by Marcus Rashford and
many leading food suppliers and producers, which calls
for:
- The
expansion of free school meals provision to every child whose
family is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent, or with a
low-income and no recourse to public funds.
- That provision be made for food vouchers to cover school
holidays and periods of lockdown for all families in receipt of
Universal Credit or with low-income and no recourse to public
funds.
- That Healthy Start vouchers should be increased in value to
£4.25 and expanded to be made available to all those in
receipt of Universal Credit or with a low-income and no recourse to
public funds.
“This Council therefore resolves to write to
the Secretary of State for Education, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer and the MPs representing the District in Parliament to
call for additional government funding for:
- The
extension of eligibility for free school meals to every pupil whose
parents or guardians are in receipt of Universal
Credit.
- Food vouchers or equivalent to be made available for every one
of those pupils in every school holiday and during any period of
lockdown.
- The
extension of eligibility for free school meals to pupils from
low-income families whose parents or guardians have no recourse to
public funds and destitute asylum seekers as defined in the
Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Councillor Dr. Sollom
accepted the following amendments to the penultimate bullet
point:
-
That provision be made for
food vouchers
food and activities during to cover school holidays
and periods of lockdown for to support all families
in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent, or with
low-income and no recourse to public funds.
And to paragraph
2:
-
Food vouchers or eEquivalent food support to be made available for
every one of those pupils in every school holiday and during any
period of lockdown.
Councillor Pippa
Heylings seconded the motion.
Councillor Sarah
Cheung Johnson supported the motion, as it aimed to mitigate the
impact of the pandemic on the poorest in the District. She
explained that half of the children in the new Northstowe Academy
qualified for free school meals.
Councillor Gavin
Clayton welcomed that motion, as 300 children qualified for free
school meals in Cambourne. He expressed his concern regarding the
lack of response from the District’s MPs to Marcus
Rashford’s campaign. He particularly supported the proposal
to extend free meals to those seeking asylum.
Councillor Nigel
Cathcart supported the motion and hoped that its proposals could
remain for the future, as it would ensure higher levels of
nutrition for the most vulnerable children in the District.
Councillor Deborah
Roberts stated that this was complex issue and that the family
should be responsible for their children, not the Government, which
had increased Universal Credit to £1,000.
Councillor Eileen
Wilson supported the motion, as it was important that children had
a balanced diet.
Councillor Bill
Handley supported the motion, as one important measure in tackling
the impact of Covid-19.
Councillor Heather
Williams supported the motion and thanked Councillor Dr. Sollom for
agreeing the minor amendments.
Councillor Pippa
Heylings thanked Councillor Dr. Sollom for proposing the motion and
Councillor Heather Williams for ensuring cross-party support. She
expressed surprise at the Government’s decision not to
support the provision of meals during the school holidays, as it
cost a family three times as much it cost the Government to provide
meals for children.
A vote was taken and with one
abstention (Councillor Deborah Roberts) Council by affirmation
agreed the following motion:
The Council notes:
- That numbers of pupils entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) are
rising fast. Nationally, the percentage of pupils known to be
eligible for free school meals has increased across all schools
from 13.6% in 2018, to 15.4% in 2019 and 17.3% at the beginning of
2020. In South Cambridgeshire District, over 2,400 pupils were
eligible and claiming FSM at the beginning of September, up by over
25% from January 2019, and numbers continue to rise due to the
impact of the pandemic.
- That every child who is entitled to Free School Meals is a sign
of a family under significant financial pressure.
- That this picture of increasing child poverty is supported by
the rapid rise in the number of families dependent on food banks.
The Trussell Trust have reported the period of April to September
to be the busiest half-year period for food banks in the network
since the charity opened, and more than a third of their three-day
emergency food parcels went to children. The Cambridge City
Foodbank has reported a 23% increase in the number of people fed
between March and July compared to last year, included a 28%
increase in the number of children fed.
- That children who are hungry are less able to learn and thrive
at school.
- That the extension of the school meals voucher scheme campaigned
for by Marcus Rashford to cover the period of the summer holiday
was incredibly important and valuable to families in food
poverty.
- That the second lockdown and the continuing rise in unemployment
are likely to lead to further increases in child poverty in the
short term.
- That the economic consequences of the pandemic risks further
increases in child poverty in the longer term.
- That moves by the government to extend support over the
Christmas holiday period and throughout 2021 are a welcome start in
addressing the problems of food poverty, but that more will need to
be done to ensure no child in the UK goes hungry.
This Council therefore supports the calls by the
Child Food Poverty Task Force, supported by Marcus Rashford and
many leading food suppliers and producers, which calls
for:
- The
expansion of free school meals provision to every child whose
family is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent, or with a
low-income and no recourse to public funds.
- That provision be made for food and activities during school
holidays and periods of lockdown to support all families in receipt
of Universal Credit or equivalent, or with low-income and no
recourse to public funds.
- That Healthy Start vouchers should be increased in value to
£4.25 and expanded to be made available to all those in
receipt of Universal Credit or with a low-income and no recourse to
public funds.
This Council therefore resolves to write to the
Secretary of State for Education, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
and the MPs representing the District in Parliament to call for
additional government funding for:
- The
extension of eligibility for free school meals to every pupil whose
parents or guardians are in receipt of Universal
Credit.
- Equivalent food support to be made available for every one of
those pupils in every school holiday and during any period of
lockdown.
- The
extension of eligibility for free school meals to pupils from
low-income families whose parents or guardians have no recourse to
public funds and destitute asylum seekers as defined in the
Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.