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Labour Party National Conference 2009
National Policy Forum takes on Devizes Constituency Labour Party’s Contemporary Issue
Devizes CLP submitted a Contemporary Issue to the National Conference at Brighton:
Fair Life Chances for all children
Children growing up in poverty have worse educational chances, are more likely to have health problems and are less likely to get jobs when they leave education. The only way to end this inequality is to end child poverty and for public services to take steps to reduce inequality in everything they do.
The recession should not mean we abandon our progressive commitments to ending child poverty but public services, from the NHS to social services, to Sure Start and schools need to play their part in giving every child a fair start in life.
Many parents and children on low incomes do not claim their free school meals, some because they feel there is a stigma in claiming them. Given the inequalities that still exist between the health of the poorest children and the richest, Labour needs to take more action to make sure every child gets healthy food when they are at school. The latest nutritional standards brought in by the government are a positive move but we also need to look at the evidence that comes from the latest free school meal pilots to find the best ways of ensuring that every child gets a good meal at least once a day. And we all need to support public servants- from teachers, to social workers to school cooks- to deliver on this Labour agenda
Simon Jackson, Head of Policy Development wrote to thank Devizes for submitting this issue, saying:
‘Your Contemporary Issue was included in the grouping ‘School Meals’, which was one of the issues chosen through the Priorities Ballot to be referred to the National Policy Forum for consideration throughout the year. School meals will be addressed this year through the ongoing work of the Education Policy Commission and I will write to keep you informed about the progress of their work.’
Gary Gordon, Devizes CLP’s delegate to Conference wrote the following statement in support of the issue for the conference debate:
Every Child Matters
School Meals
Every child really does matter
Conference Devizes CLP put this contemporary issue for debate I would like to thank you all for your support so far and especially the GMB for putting this contemporary issue forward and proposing the contemporary issue.
I am delighted that constituencies and trade unions and ministers will be working together over the coming year to find a consensus on how to move forward this vitally important issue.
The pilots the government has launched will demonstrate that;
Providing free nutritional school meals for all primary school children is another step change to eradicating child poverty.
Providing free nutritional school meals for all primary school children will remove the social stigma and eliminate bullying that is attached to our children currently receiving free school meals.
Providing free nutritional school meals for all primary school children will improve our children’s concentration thus improving progress and educational achievement.
Providing free nutritional school meals for all primary school children will improve our children’s health thus reducing cost of public services and in particular, the health service.
Let us put an end to child poverty, join me in my pledge and support this debate on free nutritional school meals for all primary school children.
Provide a fair start in life for our primary school children.
Provide a fair deal for our primary school children and low income families.
Provide a fair nutritional meal for our primary school children.
Don’t choose to look the other way like the Tory Party.
Let us all make a difference for our children.
I urge you all to join me in my pledge in supporting this debate after all our children are Brittan’s future.
I am confident that we will demonstrate its the right thing to do for all our children and low income families.
Every Child really does matter.
Thank you conference.
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National Conference
