Scottish Greens vote for universal free school meals
This afternoon Scottish Green MSPs will vote for the expansion of universal free school meals to all P6 and P7 pupils and against the Scottish Government’s decision to drop this policy.
Green MSPs previously secured the expansion of universal free school meals to pupils in Primary 4 and 5, alongside a commitment to include Primary 6 and 7 as soon as possible.
The commitment was included in Programmes for Government up to 2023 when the Scottish Greens were in government, but has been dropped by the SNP in this year’s plan.
A related Scottish Greens policy, the cancellation of all school meal debt held by struggling families, was delivered earlier this year.
Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer MSP said:
“It's outrageous that here in Scotland and across the UK we have children sitting in school hungry. This is one of the richest countries in the history of the planet.
“I'm proud that the Scottish Greens previously managed to secure the government's agreement to expand free school meals universally to primary four and five and then move on to primary six and seven. That was part of a wider package that we worked on together with colleagues in the SNP. So, it is more than frustrating to see the SNP drop this commitment and falsely claim that they have no choice.
“Green MSPs have pointed out that huge savings can be made by halting tax breaks for big businesses and shooting estates, or by scrapping the deeply unhelpful standardised testing of children starting in P1. Westminster budget cuts have created a financial crisis in Scotland, but the Scottish Government aren’t powerless. The SNP have made a chosen. Today Parliament is telling them it was the wrong one and they must think again.
Mr Greer added:
“The Scottish Greens were the first to uncover the scale of school meal debt in Scotland. We did the research, we campaigned and then, with the support of the Cabinet Secretary and the then First Minister, Humza Yousaf, we secured the funding to cancel that debt. Like the expansion of free school meals to P4 and P5 and the provision of free bus travel for all young people, this was a clear example of the positive impact made by Green MSPs.”