Chamber
Plenary, 14 Mar 2007
14 Mar 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
We are discussing a progressive piece of legislation that could be made much better if we supported amendments that would enable the universal provision of free school meals. I do not understand the objection to giving local authorities the discretion to do that.
Child obesity is a ticking time bomb. I secured a members' business debate on the issue about a year ago. There is no quick fix to the problem. The positive health changes that took place in Finland happened more than 30 years after the introduction of free school meals. The sooner we start, the sooner we will get on with making those changes. There is no point in my spelling out the obvious health benefits of free school meals, as they have been well rehearsed for years in the Parliament. It is clear to me that the improvements in health would offset any costs and would be well worth the price we would pay.
It is essential that we tackle childhood dietary health. One of the most direct and achievable means of doing that is by providing free, healthy meals to all children at lunch time in state schools—at the very least, in primary schools—for which we ought to establish pilot schemes. I believe in the universal provision of free school meals, but I think that pilot schemes would be a way forward to show that the policy would work and would be of benefit to our children's health.
Universal provision seems to be accepted in many areas. For example, there is free bus travel for the elderly, there is the central heating allowance for the over-60s and there are free nursery places for three and four-year-olds. Indeed, the national health service is provided universally—and we provide free food to people who use that service. The bill accepts the need to provide healthy snacks in our schools, as happens.
I do not believe that we can afford to means test children on something that directly affects their health and the future health of the Scottish population. Ever the optimist, I think that we will, eventually, get around to providing free lunches for all children in our state schools. The bill is good and progressive. Those who, over the years, have campaigned for changes ought to be congratulated on getting the bill introduced and, I hope, passed today. I have consistently supported the universal provision of free school meals and I will continue to do so.
Child obesity is a ticking time bomb. I secured a members' business debate on the issue about a year ago. There is no quick fix to the problem. The positive health changes that took place in Finland happened more than 30 years after the introduction of free school meals. The sooner we start, the sooner we will get on with making those changes. There is no point in my spelling out the obvious health benefits of free school meals, as they have been well rehearsed for years in the Parliament. It is clear to me that the improvements in health would offset any costs and would be well worth the price we would pay.
It is essential that we tackle childhood dietary health. One of the most direct and achievable means of doing that is by providing free, healthy meals to all children at lunch time in state schools—at the very least, in primary schools—for which we ought to establish pilot schemes. I believe in the universal provision of free school meals, but I think that pilot schemes would be a way forward to show that the policy would work and would be of benefit to our children's health.
Universal provision seems to be accepted in many areas. For example, there is free bus travel for the elderly, there is the central heating allowance for the over-60s and there are free nursery places for three and four-year-olds. Indeed, the national health service is provided universally—and we provide free food to people who use that service. The bill accepts the need to provide healthy snacks in our schools, as happens.
I do not believe that we can afford to means test children on something that directly affects their health and the future health of the Scottish population. Ever the optimist, I think that we will, eventually, get around to providing free lunches for all children in our state schools. The bill is good and progressive. Those who, over the years, have campaigned for changes ought to be congratulated on getting the bill introduced and, I hope, passed today. I have consistently supported the universal provision of free school meals and I will continue to do so.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
The next item of business is stage 3 proceedings on the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill. Members should have with them SP Bill 68A a...
Section 1—Duties in relation to promotion of health
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
Group 1 is on duties in relation to the promotion of health. Amendment 21 is the only amendment in the group.
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green):
Green
Part 1 of the bill explains that various bodies, including the Scottish ministers and education authorities, will have duties to ensure that all schools beco...
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
I pay tribute to my colleague Shona Robison, whose proposal for a member's bill to remove junk food and fizzy drinks from schools was a precursor to the driv...
The Minister for Education and Young People (Hugh Henry):
Lab
Fiona Hyslop's point that teachers need the time to teach and cannot spend all their time compensating for some of the problems that come from the home and f...
Patrick Harvie:
Green
It would be helpful if the minister could explain whether the restrictions on the advertising of products that do not meet the requirements on nutrition exte...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
I will come to that point in a moment.Regardless of whether a school would advertise a product that it could not provide, a health-promoting school should pr...
Patrick Harvie:
Green
I welcome and agree with much of what the minister said about the promotion and advertising of products that do not meet the requirements on nutrition, but I...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
The question is, that amendment 21 be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Members:
No.
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
There will be a division. Since this is the first division in these proceedings, there will be a five-minute suspension.
Meeting suspended.
On resuming—
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We will proceed with the division, which will be a 30-second division.
ForAdam, Brian (Aberdeen North) (SNP) Baird, Shiona (North East Scotland) (Green) Ballance, Chris (South of Scotland) (Green) Byrne, Ms Rosemary (South of Sc...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
The result of the division is: For 29, Against 70, Abstentions 0.
Amendment 21 disagreed to.
Section 6—School meals and snacks
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
Group 2 is on free school meals and snacks. Amendment 1, in the name of Tricia Marwick, is grouped with amendments 6, 22 to 24, 3, 4, 14 to 20, 25, 7, 26 and...
Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
Members of the Communities Committee will know that similar amendments were discussed during stage 2, but I make no apology for bringing amendments 1, 22, 3 ...
Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD):
LD
The member said that the Liberal Democrat administration in Hull stopped the experiment, but that is not the case. The administration continued the experimen...
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
That is not my understanding. I accept what the member says, but it is clear that the experiment was to go no further and that the council was going to stop ...
Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol):
Sol
My amendment 6 proposes universal provision of free, nutritious school meals. We support universal provision because, if we are to give children the chance t...
Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
When we ask parents what they want for their children, one or two will say, "I want wee Kenny to play for Scotland", or, "I'd like Kylie to win ‘The X Factor...
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I refer to the comments that I made on my amendments at stage 2.During stage 1, Barnardo's Scotland referred to the"difference between the percentage of chil...
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
There are three arguments for free school meals: the need to tackle poverty; the need to tackle obesity, which is a health issue; and the need to address nut...
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):
LD
Will the member give way?
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
No, I will not.Let us take a bold step now and say that we want universal provision of school meals in this country. However, let us take a pragmatic approac...
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab):
Lab
We are discussing a progressive piece of legislation that could be made much better if we supported amendments that would enable the universal provision of f...