THE Scottish Government is “standing by” its commitment to provide free school meals to all primary school pupils, the Deputy First Minister insisted – although she was unable to say when this would happen.
Kate Forbes was only able to say that free meals would be rolled out to all youngsters in P6 and P7 “when additional funding becomes available”.
Her comments came after John Swinney’s first Programme for Government since taking over as First Minister failed to include the policy.
That was despite the SNP’s 2021 Holyrood manifesto including a commitment to provide “universal free school meals for all primary pupils, with free breakfast and lunch for all classes, all-year round”.
Speaking on Thursday, Forbes insisted: “We are still standing by that manifesto commitment to roll that out.”
However, she told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme the Government would “be able to make the progress we have agreed to make when additional funding becomes available”.
The Deputy First Minister said: “We have not ditched the pledge to roll it out.
“What we are saying is like so many parts of the Government’s commitment, it is contingent on funding being made available.”
Her comments came after the Scottish Government confirmed universal free school meals for P6 and P7 children would not be delivered ahead of the next Holyrood elections in May 2026.
A spokesperson explained: “The current financial situation means that universality will now not be delivered by 2026.”
However, “should funding from the UK Government become available, then we will endeavour to complete delivery for all of Scotland’s primary pupils” the spokesperson said.
Forbes echoed that, saying: “We have said we will roll out universality to P6 and P7 when the funding becomes available.”
The Deputy First Minister added: “At this point in time we have been very open with the public about the enormous constrains on our public finances.
“And we sincerely hope things will get better. But the Prime Minister said within two months of taking office that things are going to get worse before they get better.
“So anybody who was hoping to see an end to 14 years of austerity and difficult finances are going to be sorely disappointed.”
She defended the Scottish Government’s record in tackling child poverty, despite campaigners claiming the programme for Government “falls well short of what’s needed” in this regard.
Forbes highlighted the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment – a weekly benefit paid to low income families north of the Border – as she said: “What we have done is spent more on child poverty than the funding we receive from the UK Government.
“We have taken the funding we have, it is a limited pot and we have really pushed further on tackling child poverty.”
She said: “We know things are tough. We are trying to push every penny as possible to focus on this mission.
“Do we have more to do? Absolutely. Which is why it was a priority in yesterday’s programme for government.”
However Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said on Thursday: “The Scottish Government is diagnosing the right issues to tackle child poverty in Scotland but the prescription falls well short of what’s needed. ”
John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said there needs to be a “step change in the pace and scale of action” from ministers.
He added: “There is no credible route to eradicating child poverty that doesn’t involve further serious investment in social security, childcare, affordable family housing and action to support parents access decent jobs.”
During First Minister's Questions, Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater accused the SNP of dropping progressive policies made during the cooperation agreement between the parties.
“During our time in Government, the Scottish Greens scrapped peak rail fares," she said.
"We introduced a groundbreaking fund to restore nature and create jobs across rural Scotland.
"We introduced legislation for a robust system of rent controls. We were on track to ban conversion practices and roll out free bus travel to asylum seekers.
“All this work is now being undone, slashed, watered down or shelved. And now the betrayal of free school meals.
“The message of this week’s Programme for Government is if you want progressive Green policies, you need to vote to have Greens in the room to deliver them.
NEW: John Swinney responded to claims by the Scottish Greens that voters had been "betrayed" by the SNP after it failed to extend free school meals to P6s and P7s. 🗣 "I understand the anguish, but I cannot spend the same money twice" pic.twitter.com/UaAVcsD8Ed
— The National (@ScotNational) September 5, 2024
"What does the First Minister have to say to voters who backed these policies and now feel let down?”
Swinney said that the Scottish Government's decision to fund above inflation increases for many public sector workers would erode poverty but that he could not "spend the same money twice".
He added: "I cannot at the same time as deliver pay deals in a fixed budget also afford some of the policy commitments that I would dearly love to be introducing.
"But I cannot because we are still bound by the shackles of austerity. "
