Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
School meal price hike leaves bad taste in mouth
North Lanarkshire’s newlyimplemented “massive hike” in school meal prices is being criticised by opposition councillors, who are asking for the raised prices to be reconsidered.
Primary pupils are now paying £3 per day for their two-course lunch and the price in secondary schools is £3.05 – up from £2.10 and £2.15 respectively – and budget plans are to continue increasing the price by around three per cent or 10 pence each year to meet inflation.
SNP group leader Tom Johnston is asking that the “harsh” new costs be reviewed as families face financial pressures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But council leader Jim Logue says the increase is required due to a reduction in grant funding which means residents are now having to pay more to maintain services.
The price increase was agreed in February’s local authority budget for the year ahead, but has only finally been implemented this month instead of April as originally planned and marks a move to “full cost recovery” for school meals instead of the council subsidising the service.
Both the Labour and Conservative groups included the current pricing structure in their respective budgets, while the SNP group had proposed a smaller increase of 10 pence in each of the next three years, reaching £2.40 and £2.45 for primaries and secondaries by 2022.
Councillor Johnston said: “Parents are complaining about this massive hike of 43 per cent – it’s a big worry for parents relying on furlough income and worried about job security.
“This massive rise has to be cut to relieve hardship for many families. The decision in February was taken before we knew of the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its threat to incomes and jobs.
“Our alternative budget called for a very gradual increase in school meals to soften the impact, and our original proposals should now be considered.
“We want this harsh price rise reviewed, given the changed circumstances since the budget.”
Writing to Councillor Logue, he said: “This rise can be £9 per week if you have two children, and the decision was made
Counting the cost Primary pupils are now paying £3 per day for their two-course lunch, with the price in secondary schools £3.05 before the council could be aware of the Government, we would have to increase implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, charges for a whole range of services with imminent cuts in furlough including special uplifts, burial charges wage support and uncertainty in and school meals. Refusing to do so employment. would either result in the cessation of
“New funding has been made available the service or a significant reduction in to the council [and] given this alteration the quality of the respective services. and the full awareness of the hardship “It would appear that this is a case of effects of the Covid crisis on North convenient collective amnesia on the Lanarkshire households, I request that part of the SNP – as such, rather than the Labour group co-operate with the emailing me, Tom Johnston should write SNP to cut this 43% increase.” to the Scottish Government outlining
Councillor Logue says the price the impact that cuts to councils have on increase is necessary to maintain communities and families.” the service and noted that it was one Every pupil in Primaries One to Three of a number of charges for residents is automatically entitled to free school introduced this year – also including meals, along with eligible pupils in older the reintroduction of a weekly charge age groups. for community alarms. A statement on the council’s website
Presenting this year’s budget in reads: “Due to financial pressures over February, including millions of pounds the last few years, the council can no in cuts, he criticised the Scottish longer afford to subsidise school meals, Government for “removing £100 million which is why it was decided to fully over the next three years” from North recover the cost; this has resulted in a Lanarkshire. price increase.
The Airdrie Central representative “We understand the impact that this said this week: “The council agreed in may have on families and we do advise February that as a result of continuing those who are eligible for free school cuts in grant funding from the Scottish meals to take this up.”