FIGURES show that parents of primary school children have racked up £70,000 of debt for unpaid school dinners

Anti-Poverty Champion, Cllr Joy Jones (Non-aligned – Newtown East) believes that children up to Year Two in primary schools in Wales should have free school meals.

This is the policy in England and Cllr Jones would like to see it implemented in Wales.

She hopes to be able to discuss this with the Welsh Government Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams, AM.

Cllr Jones, said : “£70,000 is a huge amount. People are really struggling to stay afloat, and parents can rack up debt with the current system very quickly.

“I have spoken to people who are in this situation. Once people do that it’s difficult to get out of it.

“I feel if all children up to the age of seven are given free school meals, like they do in England, it would help.

“I’m not just talking about Powys, but the whole of Wales and I have written to Kirsty Williams asking for a meeting to discuss this.”

In this year’s budget the price for school dinners increased by 15pence for children in primary schools from £2.30 to £2.45. And in secondary schools from £2.40 to £2.55.

A spokesman for PCC confirmed that the figure of £70,000 is correct and for secondary school pupils the figure is £4,000.

“If there is no credit on the ParentPay account then a secondary aged pupil would not get a meal, a primary pupil would be fed and an invoice raised or email alert sent to the parent/guardian,” said the PCC spokesperson.

A Welsh Government, spokesman said: “We are operating against the backdrop of austerity, and we have not received any additional funding to manage the impact of the UK Government’s welfare reform agenda on free school meals.

“Nonetheless, we offer learners free school milk up to the age of seven , and are making an additional £7 million available for local authorities in Wales to meet the additional costs associated with these reforms.”