Lib Dems ask council to increase holiday support for Hertfordshire families claiming free school meals

A Liberal Democrat bid to increase the amount of support offered to Hertfordshire families with children eligible for free school meals has failed.

Earlier this month the county council agreed a £2.3m package of measures to support struggling families over the summer.

And that included the right for all families with a child eligible for ‘free school meals’ to claim a £50 voucher over the holidays.

But at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, July 20, Lib Dem councillors said that fell short.

They said the vouchers should be increased to £81, to match the free school meal funding made available in previous school holidays during the Covid-19 pandemic.

And they called on the county council to increase the value of each voucher by £31.

Proposing the motion Cllr Mark Watkin, the Lib Dem spokesperson for children, young people and families, pointed to the 34,400 children in the county now eligible for free school meals.

He asked the council to fund the increase using £1m from the county council’s reserves.

And in doing so, he said it would send a message to those children: “We understand the challenges you face, we care about you, we will make sure you are properly fed.”

As part of the agreed scheme £50 vouchers can be claimed by any Hertfordshire family eligible for benefit-related free school meals, for free two-year-old education and childcare or for ‘early years pupil premium’.

And in addition – as part of the £2.3m package – the council has earmarked £445,000 to support adults and £194,850 to be passed on to organisations such as food banks the HertsHelp crisis intervention service.

At the meeting executive member for education, libraries and lifelong learning Cllr Terry Douris said this would be “fair and equitable to the widest range of children and families”.

And he highlighted other schemes – such as the HAPpy holiday activities and ‘Fit, Fed and Read’ – that also provided lunches to children during school holidays.

He pointed to ‘a need to return to the pattern of life that existed prior to this dreadful virus’.

And he said: “We know the devastating impact that it has had and the terrible loss of life about which we all grieve.

“The government said at the outset it would do what it takes to get us through the pandemic .

“And whilst it may be argued that some things may never be the same again we do have to look back at the circumstances that pre-existed pre-Covid.

“Of course there were free school meals in those days, but I actually don’t recall ever hearing a request for free school meals during the holidays.”

Also speaking against he motion was Conservative Cllr Adam Mitchell, who said he had been supported by free school meals as a child.

He said it was right that the county council go back towards normality – suggesting that the £50 voucher was a “nice gesture” that was “quite generous” and was “good enough”.

But Labour Cllr Tina Bhartwas – a past recipient of free school meals who spearheaded the ‘Hertfordshire Against Holiday Hunger’ campaign – suggested it was not good enough to go back to ‘business as usual’.

And she said the suggestion the £50 voucher was a ‘nice gesture’ and ‘good enough’ was “quite insulting”.

“An unprecedented crisis calls for unprecedented measures – and we need to do this,” she said.

Cllr Sharon Taylor, who is also leader of Stevenage Borough Council, pointed to the one in three children in Stevenage living in poverty.

She asked: “What greater priority could there be for this council ‘s finances than feeding the hungry children in my division and in other divisions across the county?”

And she later added: “I we have got the money in Hertfordshire to do this – and we have – we should do it.

“It is a fundamental duty of ours to feed those hungry children during the school holidays.

“[…] We may not have realised how big an issue this was before but if we know it now we shouldn’t ignore it and turn our back on it.”

Lib Dem Cllr Sally Symington – who seconded the motion – said that if Hertfordshire was to fulfil its promise to be the ‘county of opportunity’ then eradicating food poverty had to be a priority – starting with young people.

But executive member for children young people and families Cllr Teresa Heritage highlighted further support for families through initiatives such as fire cadets, healthy families programme and building better opportunities for residents.

And she said: “I can assure you that no child in this county will go hungry.”

The motion was put to a vote – but it was not passed. The meeting of the full council can be viewed at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/watchmeetings

During the debate Liberal Democrat Cllr Helen Campbell drew attention to the ‘hypocrisy’ of councillors who would vote against the motion, who would at the end of the debate be offered a free buffet.