Pupils miss out on discounted meal deal

Pupils in East Kilbride and Strathaven missed out on discounted school meals.

At a meeting of South Lanarkshire Council’s education committee on Tuesday, August 18, it appeared that SLC had chosen not to participate in the UK Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

However, it later transpired that the council had indeed signed up to the scheme but deemed the benefits“too small to justify” rolling it out to schools across the region.

Liberal Democrat councillor Fiona Drybrugh (East Kilbride South) raised the issue during a discussion on the department’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

Local authorities are free to sign up to the scheme which offers a 50 per cent discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks up to a maximum of £10 at participating restaurants, pubs and cafes during August.

Other councils have signed up for the scheme with pupils and their families benefiting from the discount to school lunches.

After the meeting, Cllr Dryburgh, education spokeswoman for the Lib Dem group, said: “It’s really disappointing.

“Many families have reduced incomes due to Covid, so half-price healthy lunches for children at school from Monday to Wednesday until the end of August would at least help.

“It would be especially welcome as families have an added cost due to the lack of breakfast clubs, which as of yet seem unable to resume.

“Many other councils have been able to take part.

“There’s no good reason for South Lanarkshire Council failing to get this help for families here, because the cost is paid for by the UK Treasury and doesn’t impact local funds.”

Executive director for community and enterprise, Michael McGlynn explained that introducing the scheme to the region’s schools wouldn’t have represented value for money.

He said:“The council looked into the practicalities of taking part in this scheme and, indeed, registered for it so participation would be possible if appropriate.

“However, given that our school lunches are among the least expensive in Scotland, an analysis suggested the marginal benefits over a very short period of time were too small to justify the cost involved in changing pricing and payment arrangements.

“Given the relatively low cost of our school meals, participation would have saved parents a maximum of £2.63 per week per primary school child. Those entitled to free school meals, including all P1s to P3s would, of course, not have been affected either way.”

Across South Lanarkshire, more than 120 restaurants, cafes and pubs signed up for the UK government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, launched by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. D

Diners that ate in benefitted from a 50 per cent discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person, on food and non-alcoholic drinks, any Monday to Wednesday in August.