Universal Credit: Free School Meals

Debate between Lord Agnew of Oulton and Lord Hamilton of Epsom

Thursday 21st February 2019 Lords Chamber

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

My Lords, I can only come back to my earlier answers. Over the past eight years we have dramatically increased the number of children benefiting from free school meals, and are now spending £600 million to ensure that infant free school meals are widely available. That has a take-up of more than 86%.

[Lord Hamilton of Epsom (Con)]

My Lords, does my noble friend have the faintest idea where the statistic from the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, comes from; that is, that 5 million young people are living in poverty?

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

Unfortunately I cannot answer that question. I think that the Children’s Society has come up with a number which again was without true validity. I do not think that that helps the debate.

Schools: Climate Change Strike

Debate between Lord Agnew of Oulton and Lord Hamilton of Epsom

Wednesday 13th February 2019 Lords Chamber

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

My Lords, I do not accept that taking time off school in the middle of term is useful for children. All the evidence suggests that time off school affects their education. We have made tremendous progress in attendance levels over the last 10 years, and in any way validating this sort of behaviour does not help children.

[Lord Hamilton of Epsom (Con)]

My Lords, further to my noble friend’s Answer, can he explain why it is right for children to go on strike during term time at a cost to the taxpayer and to their own education? Why can they not leave these protests until the holidays?

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

My noble friend asks a very valid question, and it is one that I have asked. Children have 15 weeks of holidays and half-terms in which to demonstrate without incurring disruption and extra workloads for their teachers. An average primary school lesson costs £1,600 and a secondary school lesson about £1,900, so school is where they should be.