, Minister for Education and
Welsh Language: Extending free school meals support into the
school holidays was introduced during the pandemic and we were
clear at the time that it was a time-limited crisis intervention.
The support ran from early in the pandemic until May 2023.
The decision not to extend funding into the 2023 summer holidays
was not taken lightly by the Welsh Government. However, as the
subsequent comprehensive impact assessment demonstrated, and
given that our budget is worth £1.2bn less in real terms than
when it was set by UK Government in 2021, it would have been
unaffordable without having to make significant cuts in other key
education budgets.
The Welsh Government received a judicial review claim in respect
of the provision of free school meals over the school holidays in
September 2023. This has now been settled by agreement between
the parties by way of a consent order. As the claim related to a
procedural issue, the current position has not changed: the
provision of free school meals during the holidays ceased in
2023, as funding unfortunately remains unavailable within the
current budgetary constraints.
In reaching a settlement, the Welsh Ministers accepted that in
June 2023, further equality assessment work needed to be
completed.
These procedural issues were addressed by taking a further
decision in October 2023 after consideration of a comprehensive
impact assessment. Again given the ongoing financial pressures on
the Welsh Government’s budget, the decision was taken not to
reintroduce the provision for October 2023 half term and
subsequent holidays, and to cease the provision
indefinitely.
