Forum Topic

Hounslow Borough to fund free school meals during half-term

Just seen the press release on Hounslow Matters from  Cllr Tom Bruce.  I guess our Tory Chiswick Cllrs will echo their MP pals on why it isn't necessary.

David McLoughlin ● 2198d40 Comments

Here are the petitions to sign:1) Ending child food poverty in the UK:https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/554276/2)No public money for MPs meals:https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-mps-entitlement-to-free-work-meals?share=3354a99e-e374-402c-a0cb-ba21447ef0c9&source=&utm_source=

Simon Pedley ● 2197d

Well done to Hounslow!

Vanessa Smith ● 2197d

Yes indeed. But they will have to cut the budget somewhere else to pay for it. Even Tory councils are stumping up because they know that this looks so bad for the government who can find  £12 billion to give to Serco for an app that does not work but cannot find the comparatively small amount to fund a meal for the most needy children during a pandemic. And let’s not forget there are 4.5 million children living in poverty in the UK. Âne let me think, which party has been in power for over a decade?

Stewart Jones ● 2197d

Very good news, being under nourished as a child causes life long problems.

Janice Evans ● 2197d

Do wonder why children are still born into poverty, something wrong somewhere in this day and age.

Janice Evans ● 2197d

'I guess our Tory Chiswick Cllrs will echo their MP pals on why it isn't necessary.'I don't think our Conservative councillors will do anything of the sort.

Susan Kelly ● 2197d

It would be interesting to hear their views but they prefer to go after the Council over local road closures than to praise it for supporting the neediest children in the Borough during a pandemic.

Stewart Jones ● 2197d

They could feed more that 30,000 children for a week with the takings from Turnham Green Terrace, though I think that has to be ringfenced for transport spending. 'Ignore a sign and feed a child!'

Peter Evans ● 2197d

Apparently Rishi Sunak has been banned from his local pub because his constituents are so furious with him over this

Claire Moran ● 2197d

They aren't all born into poverty, Janice.  Life happens.  Accidents can prevent someone from working, divorce, separation - any of these things and more can make anyone who is not helped poor when perhaps they weren't before, disrupting their life plans.  I personally know several people (other freelancers, with limited companies or newly freelance) who are reeling from the pandemic affecting their business and they are getting no help from the government.  Change can happen before you know it through no fault of your own.

Claire Moran ● 2197d

Hat off to Rashford..

Stuart Kerr ● 2197d

Claire, yes I realise this, but also couples continue to have children when they are unable to care for the ones they already have.

Janice Evans ● 2197d

All Councils have been and are being provided with funding by Central Government for discretionary expenditure just such as this.

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 2197d

Why was there a vote in parliament then?

Stewart Jones ● 2197d

For goodness sake the government has used our taxes to given millions to local authorities to look after all those in need which includes free school meals its the local authorities that should have been doing it all along! Instead wasting our money on LTNs which are so badly designed & implemented none wants them

Jayne Thorburn ● 2197d

Funding for the LTN's came from the government, not the council. That money was never made available by the government to pay for free school meals.

Tom Pike ● 2197d

Given your constant posting on politics I would have thought that obvious?

Mark Talbot ● 2197d

Perhaps we should ask MPs to divert some of the publicly funded subsidy of the House of Commons bars and restaurants.

Micki Hawkes ● 2197d

Or Micki, instead of endangering further an already challenged sector which employs millions, why not provide funding which could provide jobs which could provide meals for children?Kills two birds, does it not?

David Lesniak ● 2197d

When did you get the memo with that information? The amount of money available to councils  that comes from the government has reduced by 18% in the past ten years when there has been increased demand on services. So under those circumstances the government gives an amount of money for discretionary expenditure which they will have spent already. The£60 million that Johnson wasted on the Garden Bridge would have really helped.

Stewart Jones ● 2197d

Sorry, David, don't quite understand.  Are you saying that MPs can't afford to pay full price for their own drinks And meals?

Micki Hawkes ● 2197d

PR disaster!

Jayne Thorburn ● 2197d

It’s not PR,  Tory MPs think the poor are undeserving. When else would they accept 4.5 million children in poverty?

Stewart Jones ● 2197d

'Apparently Rishi Sunak has been banned from his local pub because his constituents are so furious with him over this'Whereas pubs in Manchester are offering to buy a pint for Andy Burnham!

Vanessa Smith ● 2196d

What exactly is the definition of "child food poverty"?

Jeffrey Cope ● 2196d

My humble apologies, Micki. Obviously I mistook it another way. I thought you were suggesting aid to the hospitality sector be curtailed.But your way makes way more sense. Can we then tack that on to my suggestion? So the budget line item for subsidizing MPs could be diverted toward enabling challenged businesses to prepare meals for the kids?

David Lesniak ● 2196d

Surely the local authorities have a duty of care to fund free school meals where appropriate in these dire times? Some Councils will no doubt struggle with this but Hounslow seems to have bundles and bundles of spare cash when you see the waste of money on overpaid staff, unused cycle lanes and unnecessary road closures and bollards etc. They are rolling in it!

Steve Taylor ● 2196d

15.4% of children in England are entitled to a free meal at school. That’s about 1.2 million children. To be eligible, the household income must be less than £7,400 per year after tax and any benefits. That’s £142 per week . The financial pressure is huge for people who qualify under normal circumstances. In a pandemic  even worse. They were struggling way before Covid 19 arrived.

Stewart Jones ● 2196d

No, David it was never my intention to close down further any hospitality outlets - I'm probably a bit incoherent on the subject.  One of the more pleasurable side effects of the issue, though, is listening to Tory MPs trying to wriggle off the hook, and justify why they voted the way they did.

Micki Hawkes ● 2196d

You’re absolutely right.In the last pandemic hit year most of the 322 Conservative MPs who voted against funding free school meals have accepted ‘declarable’  free hospitality. So we have one MP accepting £500 worth of pizza for a party, another £700 for wine.  Ben Bradley’s took  two tickets for the Brit awards valued at £1900. All perfectly allowable under the rules. Happy to take, not so keen to give.And the MP ho got free ski passes.

Stewart Jones ● 2196d

Having seen a HoC menu I was gobsmacked at the variety and really low prices that MPs get to choose from. I know the excuse is that the catering 'runs at a a loss' but that means the shortfall is still down to the taxpayer to fund. A really nice fish and chip dish with all the trimmings was under £8! I defy people to get a takeaway anything as cheap from a local chippie.Why can't these morons understand that this is doing them no good whatsoever, say they got it wrong, apologise and cough up?

Vanessa Smith ● 2195d

Shouldn't Hounslow Council be running workshops to teach parents and guardians how to cook nutritious, cheap meals. They need to be proactive rather than react and throw more money at this worsening problem.

Steve Taylor ● 2195d

Presumably held in a park.

Micki Hawkes ● 2195d

Yes why not?  Surely our esteemed over paid Council executives, with bundles of money to spend, can think of a risk free way to hold workshops to educate parents and guardians?  Or will they take the usual Hounslow easy option and just dole out money to anyone who 'claims'.

Steve Taylor ● 2194d

"Or will they take the usual Hounslow easy option and just dole out money to anyone who 'claims'."Of course they will and do if it wins a potential vote

Paul Fisher ● 2194d

You must mean 'dole out money to anyone in need', except in this case it's vouchers or in the case of Ealing, vouchers or a food bank chit. Shame that the delay in deciding who was going to do this means the schools have now broken up for half term so they can't help distribute the vouchers like they did during the national scheme in the summer.

Peter Evans ● 2194d

"You must mean 'dole out money to anyone in need',"No I don't. I mean dole out money to anyone who claims. That is the governments whole point. The local authorities are best placed to ascertain who actually 'needs' and one would expect them to act responsibly when using their 'own'  money, but if they get handouts from the government they will take the easy option and dole it out to anyone who claims.

Steve Taylor ● 2194d

Looks like the Chiswick Tea Party are out again. This entire issue has demonstrated, yet again, the woeful incompetence of present Government and their complete failure to recognise the national feeling. This is the norm - push more responsibility on cash strapped local authorities whilst hiding behind glib comments about local solutions but without adequate funding.

John Stroud ● 2194d

I also have to congratulate Tory run Hillingdon Council on doing the same as Hounslow. As are Richmond and Hammersmith and Fulham. There is a full list of London Councils giving support here:https://www.mylondon.news/news/health/full-list-london-councils-offering-19166040For those who denigrate the support given by Hounslow Council, by falsely claiming that anyone can apply, the support is retrospective.

David McLoughlin ● 2193d

My sister lives in Hillingdon, a wonderful council on all counts.

Janice Evans ● 2193d