By Daily sports on October 16, 2020

Hungry children are sitting in class worrying about what their younger siblings will eat at home later, says campaigning footballer Marcus Rashford.

Rashford, who prompted a Westminster government U-turn on free meals over the summer holidays, says some cannot focus due to rumbling stomachs.

Stepping up his child poverty campaign, he is urging UK ministers to offer free meals to 1.5 million more children.

Number 10 said it was not for schools to provide food during holidays.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters the government had already “taken action to make sure children don’t go hungry”.

“We are in a different position now schools are open – it’s not for schools to regularly provide food during the holidays.

“We think Universal Credit will provide what’s needed,” he added.

Wales has said it will offer poor pupils free meals over the holidays.

Northern Ireland, which has announced a time limited lockdown in which schools will close, has said it will cover pupils’ meals during this period, but nothing further is promised for the coming Christmas holiday.

England’s government has not committed any further resources to free school meals since schools returned in September.

Rashford, who has told of his own impoverished childhood and formed a coalition of food campaigners under the name #endchildfoodpoverty, is now mounting a petition to Parliament.

The petition calls for free school meals to be available for every child from a household on Universal Credit or equivalent.

This would mean the meals reach an additional 1.5 million children aged seven to 16, his campaign said.

He also wants holiday meals and activities to be expanded to an extra 1.1 million, and the value of healthy food vouchers for pregnant women to be increased to increased to £4.25 per week (up from £3.10)

•PHOTO: Marcus Rashford 

Source Daily sports

Posted October 16, 2020

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