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Labour consider ending free school meals for infants and free period products (www.thenational.scot)

submitted 1 week ago by flamingos@feddit.uk to c/uk_politics@feddit.uk

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THE UK Government's Education Secretary has suggested cutting school spending by £500 million and ending universal free meals for infants in England ahead of the Spring Statement.

Bridget Phillipson has also offered to axe funding for free period products in schools as well as dance, music and PE schemes as part of potential savings.

The controversial proposals are part of a package of measures being put forward by Phillipson as the Treasury prepares for Wednesday's spending review, with reports Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to announce £1.5 billion in cuts to the civil service budget.
[…]
Government sources said Phillipson had suggested making it means-tested instead, as free school meals for older children already are.

Education is devolved in Scotland – all pupils in primary one to five receive free school meals, as well as those in P6 and P7 who receive the Scottish Child Payment.

Other suggestions from Phillipson included ending the provision of free period products to girls and women in schools, stopping the junior ISA for children in care and ending the subsidy that provides some parents with wrap-around childcare.

Bridget Phillipson Insiders told The Times that some of the measures had been presented as potential cuts because they would be too politically difficult to get rid of.

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[–] Patch@feddit.uk 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

This strikes me as bluffing between the DfE and Treasury.

"Oh, you want me to make 15% savings cuts do you? Here's what that looks like:"

In the hope that the Treasury backs down to at least some extent.

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Just a correction. That particular15% demand. Was ordered to come from administrative costs. Basically firing civil servents. Not cuts to services provided. Reeves is still trying to deny its austerity. By taking direct decisions on cuts to actual services provided to the public.

The gov is claiming employment os civil services expanded drematically since covid. No idea if that is true. But the desperate attempt from 2 govs in a row to redefine words like austerity dose not fill me with trust. I feel the urge to disinfect anything that comes out of their mouths atm.