Leaders Question 1:  Free School Meals

Thank you, Madam Mayor,

Colleagues will not be surprised that my first question tonight relates closely to the cost-of-living crisis, which is causing real anxiety right across our Borough.   

Many families across Oldham are facing tremendous hardship as it becomes more and more expensive to put food on the table. 

It is shameful then, that at a time of unprecedented national hardship, the Conservative government have effectively cut Free School Meals by more than £212,000 in real terms across our Borough. 

Universal Infant Free School Meals were introduced by the Liberal Democrats in government, to support all pupils in reception, Year One and Year Two. 

A healthy meal at lunchtime means that parents save money at the supermarket and children can focus on learning – which is what school is for. 

No child should go hungry in Oldham Borough.  If children are hungry, how are they expected to study and learn? 

However, since the policy was introduced seven years ago, the Conservatives have increased funding per pupil by just 4 pence, yes just 4 pence from £2.30 to £2.34. 

Had the funding increased with inflation, it would currently stand at nearly £2.50 per pupil.

With inflation soaring, these real terms cuts will get worse, meaning that children in our Borough will miss out and fall behind in class.  

So, I ask the Leader, what will Oldham Council do to help schools plug the gap left in their Free School Meals budgets by the Conservatives?

And will she write to the Secretary of State for Education calling on them to reverse cuts to Free School Meals by protecting school budgets against rising inflation.

Leaders Question 2:  Transport Strategy  

Thank you, Madam Mayor, my second question tonight is about transport.

After the months of rigmarole and uncertainty surrounding the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone, it finally looks as though we’ve arrived at something resembling a workable plan.

A small non-charging clean air zone in place of the original daily charge covering the whole of Greater Manchester which would have been a disaster for people and business. 

We’ve gone round the houses to get to this stage, and wasted a shed load of money, but I suppose I should welcome that Mayor Burnham and the 10 GM leaders have finally seen sense and dropped the idea of a daily charge.

But it is not a done deal we still wait for the government to approve the plan before we can know whether the clean air zone is going to be kept free. 

One of the key aims of the Clean Air Zone is to encourage the use of electric vehicles.  But we know that Oldham and GM are miles behind on infrastructure to support electric vehicles. 

We need a much more ambitious target for charging points by 2025.

Planning needs to make sure new developments include electric charging infrastructure.

Another vital pillar of our transport strategy is public transport and for a lot of residents that means bus services.

We have seen that several key services have had to be put out for tender.  What happens if the offers are too expensive, or if new contracts can’t be agreed in a timely manner, or there are no tenders?

With the costs that our residents are having to endure now the last thing they want is for bus services to be reduced or axed.

So, will the Leader agree that it is time to get a firm grip on Transport in Oldham and across Greater Manchester?

• We need a non-charging Clean Air Zone;
• We need proper, sustained investment in electric vehicle charging.
• And we need to give passengers certainty over the future of our bus services?