Nicola Sturgeon is under pressure to fund universal free school meals for secondary school pupils to combat “horrifying” food price increases feared to be leaving children hungry.
The Bank of England has warned that supermarket bills and other household costs will continue to rocket until the end of the year,
driving thousands of parents and carers below the poverty line.
Lesley Davidson, who runs a Loaves And Fishes food bank, has seen “unprecedented demand” from mums and dads terrified of having to send children to school on an empty stomach.
She said: “Providing a meal for all primary and secondary children at school is a no-brainer.
“It is the most fundamental responsibility of government to make sure children are not going hungry.”
The Sunday Mail has learned Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem MSPs have all indicated support for a Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) campaign to give all pupils access to a meal at school if they want one.
They backed an amendment to the Good Food Nation Bill, now being considered by the Scottish Parliament, to include universal provision in the new legislation.
The amendment – tabled by Labour’s Monica Lennon at Holyrood’s rural affairs, islands and natural environment committee – was only rejected by MSPs from the SNP and coalition partners the Greens.
Lennon said: “No child should be going hungry in a country as rich as ours. Expanding access to universal free school meals will reduce child poverty and stop hunger holding back the next generation.
“With the cost-of-living crisis hitting families hard, I am proud to have taken the argument for expanding universal free school meals to the Scottish Parliament, because our ambitions for children and young people should not stop at the primary school gates.
“The Scottish Government’s commitment to universal free school meals must not leave secondary school pupils behind.
“It is disappointing that SNP and Green votes kept universal free school meals out of the Scottish Government’s Good Food Nation Bill. This was a mistake but there is still time to put this right ahead of the final stage three votes.”
The Scottish Government has already committed to providing free school meals to all primary one to five pupils.
However, ministers are understood to have asked officials to crunch the numbers and find out how much it would cost to expand the policy to all children in primary and secondary education.
It has previously been estimated that meals could be delivered for as little as £4million a year based on a 10 per cent uptake among Scotland’s 300,000 secondary pupils.
While all pupils would be unlikely to want one, it is hoped making meals free for all would remove the stigma for those in greatest need while removing the administration costs of means testing.
Lesley, who runs the East Kilbride branch of Loaves And Fishes, said: “We are doing about 150 food parcels a week. Every week the numbers are growing. We are in the process of moving to a bigger premises to cope.
“Many of the people we help are working families who just can’t make ends meet, so it is an absolute certainty that children are in danger of going hungry in Scotland.
“People who were on the breadline as it was are having to find over £1000 more a year to pay their energy bill and at the same time everything else is rocketing in price as well.
“It is a no-brainer to give all children a free school meal. If you have a full tummy, you have a clear mind and that allows you to focus on other things. Children and all adults need this to be able to improve their situation in the long run.”
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has blamed the war in Ukraine for the highest inflation in the UK for three decades and warned of “apocalyptic” food prices caused by Russia’s invasion. He has insisted that 80 per cent of inflation was being caused by factors outside the Bank’s control.
The campaign for universal free school meals was first mooted by STUC as part of its Food For Thought campaign. General secretary Roz Foyer said: “Families across Scotland are in the grip of the worst cost-of-living crisis not seen in generations. Over two million people across the UK are going hungry – they literally cannot afford to eat.
“This is a scandalous situation that will scar a generation.
“By rolling out universal free school meals to all, we ensure every young person can live with dignity and respect, reducing the stigma around school meals and narrowing the poverty-enforced attainment gap.
“The Scottish Government wants Scotland to be the best place in the world for young people to grow up. This is simply not credible while children go hungry on their watch.
“We would implore them to lead the way and show the political will to match their rhetoric.”
Research carried out by the Food Foundation think tank has found millions of people, including children, in the UK are being forced to have smaller meals than usual, regularly skip meals altogether or do not eat when they are hungry.
Scottish Conservative shadow minister for children and young people Meghan Gallacher said: “It is essential that children are being provided with decent meals in school, especially at a time when household budgets are squeezed.
“The Scottish Conservatives believe the SNP Government could and should be doing more to ensure our children are well fed during the school day.”
The Scottish Government said: “Pupils in primary one to five at publicly funded schools already benefit from universal free school lunches during term time, as well as eligible pupils within other age groups, saving families on average £400 per child per year.
“We will continue to work with our partners in local authorities to plan for the expansion of free school lunch provision over the next academic year.”
Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer suggested his party would back universal means once school kitchens could cope with the demand.
He said: “The Scottish Greens have already secured the rollout of free school meals for primary pupils up to P5 and the Scottish Government is committed to further expansion as soon as possible, once practical issues like the necessary expansion of school kitchen facilities are sorted.”
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