Cost-effective way to address poverty

CHILD poverty is a blight on our society and one which successive UK and Welsh governments have failed to address.

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Free school meals are not only a relatively cost-effective way to address some of the immediate effects of child poverty, they are also targeted and traceable - schools know if pupils are attending and eating.

So it is welcome that the Welsh Government introduced universal free school meals for primary aged children - it removes stigma and helps prevent anyone from missing out.

There was just one flaw: they didn't include children aged 11 and up in secondary schools. Older children get hungry too.