Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Are Welsh children being properly fed ?

I still remember the semolina pudding we used to have on Tuesdays when I was in school. Oh, how I've tried to forget. It may well have been very nutritious, but at the time, I thought the left overs could have been used to plaster the ceiling. Anyway, I've taken a ghoulish interest in what we feed our children ever since. Which is why I was very interested to learn today what Welsh Local Education Authorities are currently paying for school meals.

I'm reliably informed that in England, the cost of a school meal averages around 80p, with some councils, such as Norfolk paying up to 90p. The figure in Wales is around just 50p, with Cardiff paying 55p. Now a penny or two I can understand - but these sort of differentials are incredible. So I telephoned a Welsh food manufacturer I know, just to check whether this can possibly be true. I knew him to be a really good quality supplier. He told me that he currently supplies his products to 4500 schools in England, but no school in Wales can afford to buy from him. Typical of what is happening is that English schoolchildren are being fed sausages with a 65% pork content, while those being served up to their Welsh equivalents are only 40% pork.

I hope that any Assembly Member who reads this post will start asking a few questions to check on the accuracy of my figures, and whether the schoolchildren of Wales are being served up meals that are inferior to their English schoolchildren.

8 comments:

johnny foreigner said...

Glyn said....

"Anyway, I've taken a ghoulish interest in what we feed our children ever since."

johnny says....

Curiously enough I've taken a ghoulish interest in the £40.00 PER DAY unreceipted 'refreshment' allowance for MPs.

I'll bet that THEIR sausages contain a lot more than 40% of pork.

Have a quick peep at Guido Fawkes blog at www.order-order.com for more interesting info.

Your pal.

johnny.

ganesh family said...

At least the school food has moved on from the stodge we were served in the 60's and 70's.
CDM - Canteen Daily Muck
YMCA - Yesterdays Muck Cooked Again

And those horrible dinner ladies!!!

Atleast our children are not being fed deep fried mars bars.

When is WAG goingto foillow the example of England and reintroduce cookery into the timetable - mind you it will need lot of capital expenditure and retraining of staff just to make up for lost time

Glyn Davies said...

johnny - I visit Guido every day

Dowlais Twp - I have no opinions on this as yet. I need to know more - and I hope that my post will lead to a few questions being asked.

Anonymous said...

They are all British children, aren't they? What's this 'Welsh children' stuff?

Glyn Davies said...

anon - Indeed they are British children - but when it comes to school dinners, the way they are fed in Wales in a matter for the Welsh Assembly and welsh local authorities. This is a really big story which will eventually be picked up by the Welsh media.

Anonymous said...

Good for you Glyn for taking an interest in what 'Welsh' children have to eat, why should they have to put up with food of poorer quality than children in England!! It seems to me that many regard us Welsh as second class citizens, we need more people like you to make sure they don't get away wth it,sometimes I feel we as a nation should play our human rights card!!

Anonymous said...

Wales is not a nation. Britain is our country. Right, Glyn? Your first loyalty is to Britain, isn't it?

Glyn Davies said...

anon - I always find this issue of where one's first loyalty lies to be a bit silly. It depends on what subject one is talking about. If we are talking about European integration, or royalty, or security, or foreign affairs, I'm British. If we're talking about culture, or local government, I think of myself as Welsh. I think of Wales as a Nation and Britain/UK as a state.