A COUNCIL chief has welcomed the Government’s U-turn on providing free meals to disadvantaged children during the Christmas holidays.

City of York Council had already agreed to provide children in York who receive free school meals with food vouchers to cover the festive holidays.

The council had also stepped in to provide children with vouchers during the October half-term break - after the Government refused to back calls for the scheme to be extended.

But the Government has now promised to lay on £170 million of extra funding to support children, families and the most vulnerable over winter.

It comes after footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to tackle holiday hunger and child poverty in England.

The new £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme will be run by councils in England.

In addition, the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides healthy food to disadvantaged children, will be extended to cover the Easter, summer and Christmas breaks in 2021.

Cllr Keith Orrell, executive member for education, children and young people at City of York Council, said: “It is very welcome news that the Government have reversed their decision on free school meals for the Christmas holidays.

“Our council had promised to do this following a council decision last week supported by the overwhelming majority of councillors.

“Residents will remember that when the Government refused to fund school meal vouchers for the October half-term our council stepped in to provide the funding to make sure that children in York got their vouchers.

“It is to be hoped that the Government will now provide the funding for councils for all the free school meals costs.

"However, the Government’s record for paying for our council’s extra costs for Covid is not good. Having initially promised to pay for everything councils had to do for Covid the money received by councils has fallen far short of what has had to be spent.”

York Labour group spokesperson for children, young people and education, Cllr Bob Webb, added: “Following Labour’s successful council resolution last month that ensured the York council funds free school meal vouchers over the Christmas holidays, we’re obviously delighted to see the Government finally buckling under public pressure and now agreeing to do the right thing.

“Marcus Rashford’s campaign deserves the support and recognition it has received and I hope this is just the start of increasing public understanding of, and responses to, poverty in our country.”