In March, education secretary Damian Hinds announced that more than 1,770 schools were set to benefit from £26 million to boost breakfast clubs in disadvantaged areas. He did not mention that the funding had been announced months ago and that it would be spread over three years.
However, in response to a parliamentary question from the shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, the children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi has been forced to admit that the Government was repeating an old commitment.
Paid for by the Government’s soft drinks levy, the funding will be broken down as follows - £1 million in 2017-18, £12.5 million in 2018-19 and £12.5 million in 2019-2020.
Reports suggest that based on the number of primary school pupils in England, which is around 4.7m, the £12.5m in funding amounts to less than 1p per day per pupil.
Labour’s shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said, ‘Once again, the education secretary has been caught trying to fiddle the figures rather than face the facts. The so-called new money for breakfasts isn’t new, is spread over years and isn’t remotely enough to make up for the children being denied free school meals under the Tories' Universal Credit.
‘The education secretary has already been slapped down by the statistics watchdog for wrongly claiming that schools are getting more money when the Tories have cut billions from their budgets. Now another one of his claims is falling apart.
‘Labour will end the Tory cuts, invest in our schools and guarantee a free meal to all primary school children.’