Southwark Council to Vote on Extending Free School Meals to All Pupils and tackling food poverty
- Vote would ensure all school pupils get free school meals
- Southwark Liberal Democrats are also calling for more support for foodbanks and to roll out Meals on Wheels and free Slow Cookers.
Southwark Council will vote on whether to extend the provision of free school meals to secondary school pupils at the council assembly this November.
The Southwark Liberal Democrat group has submitted a motion calling for the council to extend universal free school meals to secondary schools.
The motion also calls on the Council to guarantee free school meals are extended during holidays, extend funding to foodbanks and organisaitons providing food to vulnerable people, restore the Meals on Wheels service and distribute free slow cookers to vulnerable residents.
Currently, universal free school meals are given to all primary school aged children, but free school meals for secondary school pupils remain means-tested.
Southwark councillors will vote on the Lib Dem motion at the council assembly on 23rd November.
Commenting, leader of the Southwark Liberal Democrats Cllr Victor Chamberlain said:
“We are living through a cost of living emergency. People are struggling right now and we know this is going to be a very hard winter for many residents. An alarming number of Southwark children and young people are at risk of food poverty and the council must step up to ensure every child and young person has access to a hot, healthy meal.
Extending free school meals to all pupils, primary and secondary age, is just common sense. We implore Labour to back our motion and provide food security for everyone in Southwark.”