Following the announcement that the government will not be offering a school meal voucher scheme over October half-term, both Richmond Council and Kingston Council have announced that they are going to offer a half-term food support package for vulnerable children, meaning that children from the lowest income families don't go hungry over the school break.

Guidance will be launched soon by both councils to let eligible families know how they can collect their vouchers.

I was unavoidably away from the Commons on Public Accounts Committee business on Wednesday, so I wasn't able to vote on Labour's free school meals motion to support providing food vouchers during school holidays for the next six months.

I was, however, 'paired' with a Conservative Public Accounts Committee member on the vote so that our absences cancelled each other out.

I am delighted to hear that our local councils have stepped in to assist these families.

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