Every school pupil should have a free school meal
Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer has urged the First Minister to take funds previously earmarked for protecting families from the cruel two-child benefits cap and now use them to expand free school meals.
Scottish Green MSPs previously secured the expansion of universal free school meals to P4 and P5 pupils, as well as the ongoing expansion to P6 and P7 pupils who receive the Scottish Child Payment (SCP).
In budget negotiations last year the party further expanded free school meals to S1-3 pupils whose families receive SCP in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Fife, Moray, North Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Ross said:
“The abolition of the Tories’ two child benefit cap and rape clause is long overdue, but it is welcome.
“Thousands of children will no longer be forced into poverty as a result of an unbelievably cruel policy inflicted by the Tories and then Labour. However, even once this nasty policy is scrapped, there will still be tens of thousands of children waking up hungry every morning due to poverty
“The Scottish Government had rightly put aside tens of millions of pounds to protect families from the two-child cap. Fortunately, that money can now go into other efforts to lift children out of poverty.
"One simple and effective way to do that is giving thousands more children a free meal at school. Young people can't learn if they are hungry and we know that free school meals have a massive impact on their success and wellbeing.
"The Scottish Greens already secured universal free school meals for tens of thousands of children in P4 and P5. Then we expanded it to thousands more pupils in P6 to S3. Now we want to go even further.”