PLAID Cymru will seek to build on its flagship free school meals policy at this year’s council elections with an aim to roll it out to all secondary schools at councils it leads. 

The party, which is holding its spring conference today and tomorrow in Cardiff, secured a commitment to free school meals for all primary pupils in the cooperation agreement it struck with the Welsh Labour government in the autumn. 

Leader Adam Price, speaking ahead of his keynote speech this afternoon at the Principality Stadium, said Plaid Cymru led local authorities will commit to the aim of extending universal free school meals to  secondary school pupils during the next council term. 

The cooperation agreement commits to £200m to deliver free school meals for all primary school children – with the roll-out expected to begin in September. 

But Price says his party will “take the policy further” and that Plaid Cymru-led councils would “commit to setting the goal and begin immediately planning” to extend universal Free School Meals to all secondary school pupils within the next five years. 

Plaid currently has outright control of only one council and shares power in three others. 

READ MORE: Keir Starmer to address Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno

On extending free school meals, Price MS will say: “Midway through the last Senedd we resolved to make free school meals for all primary school children our number one priority. It was the one sure way, within the powers of the Senedd that we could make an impact on the curse of child poverty in Wales, that impacts on a third of our children. 

“It gets rid of dinner money debt and scraps the stigma associated with getting a free lunch and means children get a healthy, hot meal at a formative stage in their development - because hungry children can’t learn, can’t grow and can’t achieve their true potential. 

“Universal Free School Meals is only happening because of Plaid Cymru's co-operative working – together, we are making a difference to the lives of people and communities up and down Wales. 

MORE NEWS:

“We are now planning to take the policy further. I can announce today that a key part of our offer in the forthcoming council election campaign is that Plaid Cymru-led councils will commit to setting the goal and begin immediately planning to extend universal Free School Meals to all secondary school pupils within the next five years.” 

Other policies Price is expected to highlight are the National Care Service, which is currently being consulted on, rent controls and action on housing and enhanced childcare. 

Council elections are to be held in May and 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote for their local authority for the first time, with the franchise extended to include them for last year’s Senedd elections. 

This articles was originally published in The National. If you value The National's journalislm, help grow our team of reporters by becoming a subscriber.