THE petition to end child food poverty, started by Premier League footballer Marcus Rashford, who is calling for children’s meals to be funded over the school holidays, is closing in on one million signatures.
Thousands of people across Gwent have signed the petition, though the Welsh Government is already guaranteeing free school meal provision for all school holidays up to and including Easter 2021.
However, Downing Street's continuing insistence that it will not back down and continue to provide vouchers for free school meals in England during holiday times, is causing outrage across the UK.
As of this morning, more than 933,000 people across the UK have signed the petition.
Here’s the breakdown of support from Gwent, by parliamentary constituency:
Caerphilly - 842; Islwyn - 587; Blaenau Gwent - 612; Torfaen - 709; Monmouth - 1,105; Newport East - 806; Newport West - 1,058.
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The petition states: “Government should support vulnerable children & #endchildfoodpoverty by implementing 3 recommendations from the National Food Strategy to expand access to Free School Meals, provide meals & activities during holidays to stop holiday hunger & increase the value of and expand the Healthy Start Scheme.
“Covid-19 has been tough on all of us but Government should ensure children don’t pay the price: 14 per cent of parents & 10 per cent of children have experienced food insecurity over the last six months.
“32 per cent of families have lost income as a result of Covid-19. Demand for food banks this winter is predicted to be 61 per cent higher than last.
“With the Child Food Poverty Taskforce, I am calling for Government to allocate money to: Expand free school meals to all under-16s where a parent or guardian is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent benefit, provide meals & activities during all holidays and increase the value of Healthy Start vouchers to at least £4.25 per week, and expand the scheme”.
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