MS, Laura Anne Jones called for a statement from the Education Minister on the Labour-run Monmouthshire council’s draft budget that has proposed doubling the cost of the breakfast club so parents would have to find £2 a day for each child attending the before school clubs.

The breakfast is meant to be provided for free – for all primary-age children who choose to accept one under one of the Welsh Government’s policies.

Commenting outside the Senedd Chamber, Laura Anne Jones, MS for South Wales East said: “I have called on the Education Minister to release a statement on this issue as the Welsh Government pledges that breakfasts are meant to be free.

“Yet families in Monmouthshire may be having to find an extra £360 a year for just one child to attend breakfast clubs at primary school.

“It’s crucial that cast-strapped families aren’t asked to find more money on top of the proposed 7.5 per cent council tax rise.”

Ms Jones noted free breakfasts for primary schools pupils is a “long-standing” Welsh Government policy and raised her question due to Monmouthshire council’s proposal to double the £1 breakfast club charge introduced in 2019 when the Conservatives controlled the council and Ms Jones was a member of the council.

Ms Griffiths replied: “There won’t be a statement reiterating the Welsh Government’s support for free breakfast clubs. Our position is very well known in relation to that.”

She also described Ms Jones as “late to the party in support of free breakfast clubs” claiming: “I thought the Conservatives were opposed to those”.

Councils are entitled to provide charge for childcare for those attending breakfast clubs before the free breakfast session starts. Monmouthshire, which is having to make £8.4 million in savings this year, has said without charge it could have to make staff who run the clubs redundant.