That the Parliament recognises International School Meals Day (ISMD) 2023, taking place on 9 March, which is a campaign managed and funded by Children in Scotland and the Scottish Government; notes that ISMD aims to encourage children and young people around the world, with support from their teachers, to connect and talk to each other about the food they eat and the role it plays in their lives; understands that this year is the 11th ISMD and the theme for 2023 is "Our changing food – methods, menus and meals"; believes that the cost of living crisis has pushed some families to have to choose between food and other necessities, and that the crisis is detrimental to the health, wellbeing and education of children across Scotland; welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to stigma-free, universal free school meals; commends the Scottish Trades Union Congress Women’s Committee for its Food for Thought campaign, supported by the Sunday Mail and a wide range of anti-poverty and children and young people’s organisations; considers that access to universal free school meals should be available to all primary and secondary pupils, and calls on the Scottish Government to urgently accelerate the expansion of universal free school meals to pupils in P6 and P7 and those in secondary school.
Supported by:
Jackie Baillie, Colin Beattie, Sarah Boyack, Miles Briggs, Foysol Choudhury, Katy Clark, Richard Leonard, Liam McArthur, Carol Mochan, Alex Rowley, Colin Smyth, Paul Sweeney, Mercedes Villalba, Sue Webber, Martin Whitfield, Brian Whittle