Boris Johnson is facing renewed pressure to commit more money for free school meals after councils said a £63m fund which ministers have suggested could be used for this has already been spent on other Covid necessities.
Following days of vehement criticism after the government’s refusal to extend free schools meals in England for the current half-term and over Christmas, Johnson praised the work of the Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford in highlighting the issue.
The prime minister hinted that more money could be forthcoming, but offered no details about how or when this might happen.
“We don’t want to see children going hungry this winter, this Christmas, certainly not as a result of any inattention by this government – and you are not going to see that,” the prime minister said in a TV interview during a visit to a hospital in Reading.
“We will do everything in our power to make sure that no kid, no child goes hungry this winter during the holidays. That’s obviously something we care about very much.”
Johnson also echoed comments by the health secretary, Matt Hancock, in suggesting English councils which have stepped in to fill the gap in holiday provision could do so using £63m in central grants allocated in the summer.
“We support the local councils – indeed we fund the local councils and many of the organisations that are helping in this period,” Johnson said.
Hancock was more explicit, telling Sky News: “I also think that it’s brilliant that the councils are coming forward, having been funded by central government – £63m has gone to councils so that they can do exactly what you say, so that they can support people and make sure that everybody and every child gets the support that they need.”
However, it is understood that virtually all councils have now spent the bulk of their allocation from the £63m, which was intended to cover a range of Covid hardship areas. The government’s own guidance on the money, which was provided on 10 July, said: “The government anticipates that most of the funding will be spent within 12 weeks.”
The Local Government Association said demand for help had “outstripped this funding now” and that councils which were providing meals were doing so out of their own budgets.
Richard Watts, the Labour leader of Islington council, said the north London local authority’s share of the £63m was not enough to even cover free school meals over half-term and Christmas, as these cost £130,000 a week. The council is paying for this out of its existing budget.
“I think the government is trying to explain away their total failure to properly fund free school meals by pointing to some money, when they should have just recognised it was a problem and paid for it,” Watts said. “But that would have involved a political climbdown, so they’re now trying to retrofit a previous payment to get themselves out of a hole.”
Danny Thorpe, the Labour leader of another London council, Greenwich, said the government’s rhetoric on the sums provided to councils was “absolutely disingenuous”.
He said: “It’s very well saying things like: ‘We’ve given £1bn to councils,’ but what they’ve given is £1bn to councils who have had to be buying PPE, who have had to be stabilising the social care system, who have had to be helping people made homeless. They’ve not handed over any great sums to help feed kids. It’s an absolute disgrace.”
Some Conservative-run councils have also said their share of the hardship fund has gone.
Izzi Seccombe, the Conservative leader of Warwickshire county council, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are going to be funding it ourselves ourselves now, because there’s isn’t money there to support it. We will be trying to find it from other sources.”
Both Johnson and Hancock praised the campaigning of Rashford, whose petition calling for an extension for free school meal coverage has reached almost 900,000 signatures.
The prime minister said he had not spoken to Rashford since June “but what he is doing is terrific”.
Hancock was also at pains to praise Rashford, whose campaigning has pushed the issue into public prominence.
“I agree very strongly with the purpose of the campaign run by Marcus Rashford,” Hancock told Sky News. “I think we’re all inspired by the way he’s led that campaign. And the purpose is that no child should go hungry, and that’s right.
“The question is how we then fulfil that, and so I think that there is a need during this pandemic, and at all times, for the country to come together and to support people and that’s what we’re doing putting that investment in.”
Speaking on Today, Hancock declined to say whether any more central government support would be made available. “Obviously, it’s not my area of policy to speak about. But what I’m saying is, our attitude and our purpose is to ensure everybody gets the support that they need, and no child should go hungry.”
Johnson’s spokesman also declined to say whether any more money would be found, only pointing to the comments of Johnson and Hancock.
