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The prime minister is said to be considering giving extra money to holiday club councils in a bid to end the line of free meals at schools.
It would mean children getting at least one meal a day during the holidays and could be combined with additional studies to help them catch up on missed classes, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper says it is too late for this semester, but it could be ready by Christmas.
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So far, the government has refused to change its position on the issue, despite the high-profile campaign of footballer Marcus Rashford and growing unease among Conservative MPs.
Boris Johnson said Monday that Rashford’s campaign to extend free meals to all school holidays was “excellent,” but highlighted measures already in place, such as an increase in Universal Credit.
The idea for the vacation clubs is said to be the brainchild of government food czar Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon restaurant group, and was tested in 17 council areas over the summer.
Mr. Dimbleby has tweeted a detailed explanation of why you support Rashford’s campaign.
Rashford’s petition on the subject has nearly a million signatures
The government is in talks about “expanding” the test program, says the Daily Telegraph.
However, some experts have already rejected the idea as insufficient.
Dr. Robert Winston, known for his television documentaries on child development, said the proposal “does not remotely cover the problem.”
The Labor colleague told BBC2’s Newsnight that poor nutrition caused “increased depression and decreased cognitive ability – you can’t learn when you’re starving.”
Companies and groups across the country have been helping
Many city councils, private businesses and community groups across the country are providing free meals this semester to children whose families are struggling.
It comes as Rashford’s petition, which also calls for the free meal plan to be extended to everyone with universal credit, closes in on a million names.
The 22-year-old Manchester United star has been retweeting companies that have been helping out during the current school holidays.
Recent prominent posts include a caterer that said it offered 280 meals in London and Hertfordshire, and a chef who tweeted that 700 meals had been delivered in Liverpool.
The government initially extended free school meals to nearly 1.5 million eligible children over the summer to help those struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.
However, ministers have insisted that the support is now sufficient, including the June announcement of another £ 63 million for local authorities to help vulnerable families.
“We support the local councils and, in fact, we fund the local councils and many of the organizations that are helping in this period,” Johnson said Monday.
“But we are also increasing the Universal Credit by £ 1,000 and we believe it is one of the best ways it can help families in this difficult time.
“I totally understand the Christmas famine issue; it’s there, we have to deal with it. The debate is how to deal with it.”
A motion to extend the free meals was rejected in the House of Commons last week, but several senior Conservative MPs have criticized the government and indicated they would vote differently if Labor forced another vote.
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