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Debbie: Over 7,000 children in Oldham could go hungry over the summer holidays

I am shocked by unacceptable new figures that suggest over 7,000 children across Oldham who are eligible for, and claiming, free school meals are at risk of going hungry during the summer holidays. 

There are 7,423 children in the Oldham borough who will no longer receive the free school meal they were eligible for during term time. These figures are shocking and it’s unacceptable that so many of children are at risk of going hungry in our community and the Tories must take responsibility for this situation.

Child poverty is at a seven year high due to their ideologically motivated austerity agenda, and wages are falling, leaving working families worse off. Every child deserves to be well fed every day, and Labour will introduce a Real Living Wage of £10 an hour to ensure that every family is able to make ends meet.

An answer to a Written Question tabled by Angela Rayner MP, in her role as Shadow Secretary for Education, shows that the Department for Education: ‘has made no assessment of the number of children who are at risk of experiencing hunger during school summer holidays in 2017.’ 

Commenting on the national situation Angela, who is MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, said: “It is deeply concerning that millions of children across the country are at risk of going hungry this summer. 

“The fact that the Government is making no central assessment of children at risk, while child poverty continues to rise under the Conservatives, is completely unacceptable.” 

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