The report, entitled ‘Britain’s not-so-hidden hunger’, details evidence showing that more than one in five children at some schools arrive hungry each day and in some parts of the country, ‘a significant number of pupils say they feel hungry’ and ‘complain of persistent hunger’.
There is also evidence that finds for some children, a free school meal ‘may be the only got food that they eat each day’.
Chairman, Frank Field MP, said: “Too many people in Britain are hungry. How many? We do not know. A very large part of this group of hungry people are children. Again we have only impressions, which suggest that too many children have hunger as their most constant companion.”
Since the group last reported, the Education Secretary has agreed to meet with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss the possibility of using some of the sugar tax proceeds to feed hungry children during the school holidays.