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Government’s u-turn on funding for free school meals during this week’s May half-term comes 'far too late'

THE government’s U-turn on free school meals during this week’s May half-term came “far too late,” Labour said today.

Previously the Department for Education (DfE) had said that there were no plans to provide the support for disadvantaged children over half-term.

But three days into the break, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said that the government would pay for free school meals for this week via the emergency voucher scheme.

He admitted that the free school meal vouchers scheme had had a “bumpy start in terms of the software and how you applied for the vouchers.”

Labour’s shadow minister for children Tulip Siddiq said that this late announcement had caused worry for parents.

“Labour has always supported families accessing free school meals over half-term, but announcing this U-turn during the week itself is far too late,” she said.

“Families have been extremely worried that they would not be able to feed their children properly this week as a result of the government’s initial reluctance.

“The fact that a petition of over 100,000 signatures was needed shows how much worry and confusion this has caused.

“Food poverty is sadly on the rise in this crisis. Free school meals are the only proper meal that some children get, so it is vital that they continue to be funded.”

A petition on Change.org has been signed by more than 103,000 people in protest at the government’s refusal to fund the scheme over the summer holiday from July until September.

The DfE says that it has other programmes to fill the gap over summer including school holiday activities and food programmes.

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