Marshalled List of Amendments

8 November 2024

Item 5: Order Paper 63/22-27 – Tuesday 12 November 2024

Motion: Holiday Hunger and the High Cost of School Uniforms

Proposed:

That this Assembly notes with grave concern the significant impact of holiday hunger and the high cost of school uniforms and PE kits on families across Northern Ireland; further notes that during the absence of a functioning Executive, funding for the school holiday food grant scheme, which provided payments to prevent holiday hunger for around 100,000 children and young people, was withdrawn; expresses concern over the continued lack of action to address these issues despite the restoration of the Executive; recognises that the ongoing rise in the cost of living, including the high cost of school uniforms, is pushing many families beyond the brink; and calls on the Minister of Education to provide an urgent update on the steps his Department is taking to tackle holiday hunger and reduce the financial burden of school uniforms and PE kits on struggling families.

Mr Robbie Butler
Mr Andy Allen
Mr John Stewart
Mr Colin Crawford

Amendment 1

Leave out all after ‘withdrawn;’ and insert:

‘welcomes action taken to address these issues following restoration of the Executive, including the recent Department of Education consultation on proposals to introduce a price cap for school uniforms and place current guidance on uniform policy into legislation; recognises that the ongoing rise in the cost of living, including the high cost of school uniforms, is pushing many families beyond the brink; and calls on the Minister of Education to provide an urgent update on the recent consultation on school uniforms, as well as the steps his Department is taking, in the context of the Executive’s forthcoming Anti-Poverty Strategy, to tackle holiday hunger and reduce the financial burden of school uniforms and PE kits on struggling families.’ 

[Mr David Brooks]
[Mr Peter Martin]

Amendment 2 (Mutually Exclusive to Amendment 1)

Leave out all after ‘issues’ and insert:

‘, including completing the review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants, despite the restoration of the Executive; recognises that the ongoing rise in the cost of living, including the high cost of school uniforms, is pushing many families beyond the brink; and calls on the Minister of Education to provide an urgent update on the steps his Department is taking to tackle holiday hunger; and further calls on the Minister to develop a plan to widen access to Free School Meals, to introduce a statutory cap on total school uniform costs, to remove branded items as a compulsory element of school PE kits, and to provide additional support for the extra uniform costs for children with special educational needs or disabilities.’

[Mr Nick Mathison]
[Mrs Michelle Guy]
[Ms Connie Egan]
[Ms Sian Mulholland]