MP slams handling of free meals for pupils

‘Sub-standard food parcels’ and taxpayers funding ‘half-price Nando’s’ while some families went hungry have been the subject of rage in South Tyneside.

Ministers have faced scrutiny this week over apparent deficiencies in the food parcels delivered to the UK’s poorest pupils who are missing out on their regular free school meals due to the latest national coronavirus lockdown.

It also again brought into focus the hardship suffered by many families as a result of the pandemic.

South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck voiced her disgust over the ‘sub-standard’ food packages which had been sent to families as community leaders met to discuss the issue in South Tyneside.

She also turned her fire on Government priorities which saw restaurant meals subsidised while food banks were struggling to feed hungry families.

“All governments have priorities and can decide what to spend their money on [like the] Eat Out to Help Out scheme while kids were going hungry,” she said.

“At the time we had people in foodbanks with empty shelves, desperately trying to feed people.”

The issue has been seized on by hunger campaigner and footballer Marcus Rashford, who is also backing Ms Lewell-Buck’s bid to secure extra funding for school breakfast provision in England’s most deprived schools.

A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: "We prepare our own food parcels and have delivered around 1,000 parcels to South Tyneside families entitled to free school meals since September. We have not had a single complaint.”