A WARRINGTON MP has said the Government must step up after 'woefully inadequate' free school meal parcels were sent out to families.
This comes after images shared online show the limited contents of a free school meal offering - a '£30 parcel' estimated to contain just £5.22 worth of food.
Sharing the image, Twitter user Roadside Mum said: "Two days - jacket potato with beans, eight single cheese sandwiches, two days carrots, three days apples, two days Soreen, three days Frubes.
"Spare pasta and tomato - will need mayo for pasta salad.
"Issued instead of £30 vouchers.
"I could do more with £30 to be honest."
#FreeSchoolMeals bag for 10 days:
— Roadside Mum 🐯 (@RoadsideMum) January 11, 2021
2 days jacket potato with beans
8 single cheese sandwiches
2 days carrots
3 days apples
2 days soreen
3 days frubes
Spare pasta & tomato. Will need mayo for pasta salad.
Issued instead of £30 vouchers. I could do more with £30 to be honest. pic.twitter.com/87LGUTHXEu
The Government has since promised to investigate, with children’s minister Vicky Ford saying she would be 'urgently' looking into the matter.
I will be looking into this urgently - food parcels should cover all lunchtime meals & be nutritious - we’ve increased funding for parcels & will support local vouchers - national voucher also rolling out ASAP, working night & day on this. Hope your kids are ok @roadsidemum https://t.co/vL5XTSNgT7
— Vicky Ford MP (@vickyford) January 11, 2021
Charlotte Nichols MP said: "It is truly shameful that families are being sent such inadequate food parcels, in the latest episode of public contracts being handed over to Tory donor companies profiteering from the pandemic.
"There is no way that the contents of the boxes being investigated was valued at anything like the £30 taken from the public purse, so questions must be answered by Chartwells and the Government about where the rest of the money has gone.
"Marcus Rashford’s campaign was able to galvanise our country behind ending the scandal of child poverty.
"The Government must urgently step up and ensure that meaningful and adequate free school meals are provided, or provide families with the cash to manage this themselves.
"For any families in Warrington North struggling, please contact me and I will ensure you get the details of your nearest Foodbank or foodshare scheme for additional support."
Meanwhile, footballer and campaigner Marcus Rashford tweeted another picture of a similar free school meal parcel and wrote: "3 days of food for 1 family… Just not good enough.
"Then imagine we expect the children to engage in learning from home.
"Not to mention the parents who, at times, have to teach them who probably haven’t eaten at all so their children can… We MUST do better."
Then imagine we expect the children to engage in learning from home. Not to mention the parents who, at times, have to teach them who probably haven’t eaten at all so their children can...
— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) January 11, 2021
We MUST do better. This is 2021 https://t.co/mEZ6rCA1LE
The Department for Education wrote on Twitter: "We have clear guidelines and standards for food parcels, which we expect to be followed.
"Parcels should be nutritious and contain a varied range of food."
Chartwells, the company which is said to have provided the parcel, responded to say they would investigate.
They said: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, this does not reflect the specification of one of our hampers."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel