Agenda and minutes

Question:

Yesterday, the Daily Post reported that a school in Gwynedd has informed parents that “pupils whose school meal accounts are more than a penny in debt won't be fed.”

Will the Cabinet Member give an assurance that children in Powys schools will not be refused food and will the Cabinet Member outline how it works with families to ensure debt doesn’t prevent children from accessing a school dinner?

Response by the Portfolio Holder:

We are aware that in some other local authorities recovery of school meal debt is managed by individual schools.  Here in Powys it is managed by our council catering service.  Our policy in our primary schools is to always feed a child regardless if their account balance is in debt.  Debt reminders are sent to parents on a regular basis.  In our secondary schools pupils are reminded where necessary by the canteen staff to ask their parents to top up when their balances are low.