The new lunchtime menu introduced in primary schools across the island is the subject of several written questions.
Multiple written questions have been asked by several MHK’s to the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, Daphne Caine.
The new menu has received backlash from students and parents, some who claim they were never consulted and others who say it fails to consider the needs of neurodiverse children.
Under Question
Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper is querying the consultation process of the new menus.
Hooper has asked the Education Minister the following questions, which she has until September 30 to respond:
- Why children at all schools were not consulted in the development of the new school menu;
- How the schools in which such consultation took place were selected; how parents were engaged;
- What steps were taken to ensure that the views of parents or children at individual schools were not given disproportionate weight;
- How useful her Department considers the survey reports on its website to be to parents;
- Whether there is any plan to publish comprehensive survey response information.
He also wants to know how the 5.3% ultra-processed food and 25% local produce figures were calculated for the new school meals menu, and what the calorific value of each meal is.
New Menus
Onchan MHK Julie Edge has also put her questions forward to the Education Minister.
Edge wants Caine to provide the following information in relation to the new school meals menu:
- The procurement date, specification and tender document;
- Financial impact assessment;
- Equality impact assessment;
- Qualifications of menu author;
- Provenance source of listed menu items;
- Tendered budget cost;
- Allocated budget.
The Minister has until September 30 to give the information to the above.
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