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22 October, 2020 Open access

Work and Pensions Secretary says ‘we are in quite a different situation from where we were earlier in the year’, as motion to extend free school meals is voted down in the Commons

Motion to prevent more than a million children going hungry during the COVID-19 crisis defeated by 322 votes to 261

With more people back at work and schools open, the country is in a different situation than it was at the outset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said in opposing a Commons motion to extend free school meals in England.

The motion, put forward by Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green in the Commons yesterday, called on the government to -

‘... continue directly funding provision of free school meals over the school holidays until Easter 2021 to prevent over a million children going hungry during this crisis.’

However, closing the debate on behalf of the government, Work and Pensions Secretary Dr Thérèse Coffey spoke instead in favour of an amendment moved by the Education Secretary Gavin Willamson that, in part, invited the House to welcome the government's £9.3 billion of ‘additional welfare payments’ and to further support the government in its ‘ongoing activities’ to help the most vulnerable children in society.

Calling for the House to be ‘absolutely united’ in wanting to do the best for vulnerable children, Dr Coffey said that - 

‘Social justice has been at the absolute heart of every decision that the Government have taken to help the people of this country get through this pandemic together.’

However, while acknowledging that it is ‘highly likely’ that unemployment will soon rise in every constituency in a ‘very difficult and challenging way’, Dr Coffey added that - 

‘We are actually in quite a different situation from where we were earlier in the year, when we were in a national lockdown, with a very strong 'stay at home' message, and people’s lives were highly restricted …

We are in a different situation now. We are not in the same measures of lockdown. More people have come off the furlough scheme and are now back in work - they can work from home or go to work. Schools are open. The NHS is treating many more people, not just the people with coronavirus. So we need to encourage life to continue as it is.’

MPs voted against the original wording of the motion, by 322 votes to 261.

The Commons debate on Free School Meals is available from Hansard.

NB - England is now the only UK nation that is not planning to fund free school meals in future school holidays during the COVID-19 outbreak, after the Northern Ireland Executive confirmed today that it will fund free meals in the 'Halloween' break, and following announcements in Wales on 15 October 2020 and Scotland on 20 October 2020 that both governments intend to fund meals through to the Easter 2021 break.