Will the cuts to universal free school meal budgets mean councils will be expected to cover more costs than they currently do?
Answered by Minister for Education and the Welsh Language | Answered on 26/10/2023
The savings identified from the universal primary free school meals budget in 2023-24 are made up from surplus funding resulting from the phased approach to rollout adopted in the second phase of implementation, as well as funding released through forecast levels of uptake from this demand-led budget.
The universal provision of free school meals in primary schools is being carried out in collaboration with Siân Gwenllian MS, the Plaid Cymru lead designated member, as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.