• MPs in the House of Commons voted last night on a Labour motion proposing to extend free school meals across school holidays until next Easter.
• The proposal was defeated by 261 votes to 322.
• The Labour MP for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, voted in favour – while the Conservative MPs for Portsmouth North, Fareham, Havant, and Gosport all voted against the motion.
• MP admits people will see vote as ‘frustrating’
• Penny Mordaunt, the MP for Portsmouth North, acknowledged that many people will find the result ‘frustrating’, but she stressed the government continues to look at proposals put forward by a task force formed by Manchester United star Marcus Rashford.
• She said: ‘I have drafted a note to Marcus Rashford, because I’ve been in touch with him previously and plan to keep in touch with the task force.
• ‘With national task forces, you have people looking at simple policy asks, and sometimes they aren’t the best way to address the problem.
• ‘The government hasn’t rejected these things outright, and what I will do is stay talking to ministers.
• ‘I will be presenting evidence from Portsmouth regarding where I think a solution lies.
• ‘Politics is frustrating – you always want things to happen faster, and there is always unmet need.’
• More than 800 people across Portsmouth area sign footballer’s petition on child food poverty
• 19,000 children in Portsmouth on free school meals
• More than 19,000 children across the Portsmouth area were eligible for free schools meals in the last school year, figures from the Department for Education show.
• Separate figures show the number of children in low-income families in the city rose from 12,445 in 2014-15, to 13,211 last year.
• An alternative to extending free school meals would be working with charity and community groups to help feed children in need, Ms Mordaunt said.
• She added: ‘We have some amazing lunch clubs in the city.
• ‘It’s not just the food that is a good thing – it’s the social networks they provide.
• ‘They don’t just serve young families, but have older people going to them as well.
• ‘I think we ought to be supporting those organisation as well as what the state does.
• ‘If the government doesn’t plan to do anything, we would have a plan B where we can see the unmet need within the city.’
• She said: ‘This government are supporting pupils in need.
• ‘This includes free school meals for 1.4m children from low-income families, an extra £9bn for the welfare system, and £63m to help councils support families in need.’

• MPs in the House of Commons voted last night on a Labour motion proposing to extend free school meals across school holidays until next Easter.
• The proposal was defeated by 261 votes to 322.
• The Labour MP for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, voted in favour – while the Conservative MPs for Portsmouth North, Fareham, Havant, and Gosport all voted against the motion.
• MP admits people will see vote as ‘frustrating’
• Penny Mordaunt, the MP for Portsmouth North, acknowledged that many people will find the result ‘frustrating’, but she stressed the government continues to look at proposals put forward by a task force formed by Manchester United star Marcus Rashford.
• She said: ‘I have drafted a note to Marcus Rashford, because I’ve been in touch with him previously and plan to keep in touch with the task force.
• ‘With national task forces, you have people looking at simple policy asks, and sometimes they aren’t the best way to address the problem.
• ‘The government hasn’t rejected these things outright, and what I will do is stay talking to ministers.
• ‘I will be presenting evidence from Portsmouth regarding where I think a solution lies.
• ‘Politics is frustrating – you always want things to happen faster, and there is always unmet need.’
• More than 800 people across Portsmouth area sign footballer’s petition on child food poverty
• 19,000 children in Portsmouth on free school meals
• More than 19,000 children across the Portsmouth area were eligible for free schools meals in the last school year, figures from the Department for Education show.
• Separate figures show the number of children in low-income families in the city rose from 12,445 in 2014-15, to 13,211 last year.
• An alternative to extending free school meals would be working with charity and community groups to help feed children in need, Ms Mordaunt said.
• She added: ‘We have some amazing lunch clubs in the city.
• ‘It’s not just the food that is a good thing – it’s the social networks they provide.
• ‘They don’t just serve young families, but have older people going to them as well.
• ‘I think we ought to be supporting those organisation as well as what the state does.
• ‘If the government doesn’t plan to do anything, we would have a plan B where we can see the unmet need within the city.’
• She said: ‘This government are supporting pupils in need.
• ‘This includes free school meals for 1.4m children from low-income families, an extra £9bn for the welfare system, and £63m to help councils support families in need.’

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