The government will not offer vouchers to the families of children who qualify for free school meals in the upcoming holidays.

Department of Education member Ann Corlett confirmed the decision in Tynwald last week.

Last year, the department launched a school summer holiday food voucher scheme for the six-week break to help families struggling due to the effect of the pandemic and lockdown.

She said children and parents had faced an ’entirely unprecedented situation’ but it had been agreed at the time that it would not continue.

’Following our positive progress in recovering from the pandemic, we do not currently have any plans to provide school meal vouchers in TT week or during this year’s summer holidays,’ said Mrs Corlett, in response to a question from Julie Edge (Onchan).

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture has powers to provide free meals to pupils attending school when those schools are open. Last year’s holiday voucher system was brought under the Financial Provisions and Currency Act in 2011 - after being approved by Tynwald.

’Our powers to provide school meals outside school times are constrained,’ she said. ’DESC will continue to work with other departments in government to tackle the wider issues of poverty on the Isle of Man.’

Free school meals continue to be provided during term time to those who qualified

Mrs Corlett agreed with a suggestion from Juan Watterson (Rushen) that it was important to evaluate the impact of last year’s actions in supporting families

’This does not just sit with the DESC, this is a government-wide issue,’ she said.

But Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) argued that action was needed now to help families, rather than waiting for a cross-departmental evaluation.

’We are still seeing significant numbers of people unemployed as a result of coronavirus,’ he said.

’We are seeing a lot of people still struggling to get back on their feet from suffering job losses or interruption to pay over the coronavirus pandemic.

’Ask the question, is there a need and can we help fill it?’