Labour today reveals that the Governmentâs own guidance on what should be in food parcels is strikingly similar to images circulating on social media in recent days â with less than a 50p daily difference.
It comes as Stephen Morgan MP has stepped up pressure for the Government to ensure families are getting the full value of Free School Meals support here in Portsmouth.
Ministers have described images circulating in recent days as âcompletely unacceptable.â The Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, told the Education Select Committee that âit will not be tolerated we will not live with that.â But research from Labour suggests that the packages arenât as far removed from Government guidance as ministers are suggesting.
Guidance written by the Department for Education and pointed to from gov.uk suggests âgeneral principles for putting togetherâ parcels. And the similarities between them and the images circulating are striking.
The key items missing are two âtins of meatâ, a litre of milk and a tin of sweetcorn. A leading UK supermarket prices this at about 47p of food a day. This doesnât include items that are not in the guidance but in the picture, such as Soreen and pasta.
| Widely shared image on social media | Government guidance |
| 1 x loaf of bread | 1 x loaf of bread |
| 2 x potatoes | 2 x potatoes |
| 1 x tomato | 3 x tomatoes |
| 5 x portions of fruit | 5 x portions of fruit |
| ? x cheese portions | 3 x cheese portions |
| 1 x tin of baked beans | 1 x tin of baked beans |
| 3 x yoghurts | 3 x individual serving yoghurt pots |
| 1 x bag of pasta | 1 x cucumber |
| 2 x packets Soreen | 1 x tin sweetcorn |
| 2 x carrots | 1 x bottle milk |
| 2 x tin of meat |
Stephen Morgan MP, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, said:
âThe images that have been circulating on social media are shameful and have shocked many constituents.
“But these revelations about the Governmentâs own guidance as we have learnt today means that ministersâ newfound concern rings hollow. A couple of tins and a bottle of milk isnât the difference between acceptable or unacceptable.
“I will continue to put pressure on Government to act. Many in our city were already struggling to make ends meet before this pandemic. This crisis has made life for them even harder. Portsmouth families deserve better from Ministersâ.
Tulip Siddiq MP, Labourâs Shadow Children and Early Years Minister, added:
âThe Governmentâs response has yet again been far too slow, with national food vouchers only becoming available from next week â two weeks after schools moved to remote learning.
âChildren are going hungry now â this cannot wait.â
