A WEST of Scotland MSP has been told to “spend more time in North Ayrshire” after calling for the biggest school dinner debt in the country to be written off.

Families in North Ayrshire currently owe £141,528.16 to North Ayrshire Council, the biggest school meal debt in Scotland, with the national figure totalling over one million pounds despite P1 to P5 pupils being entitled to a free meal.

The North Ayrshire figure is nearly £27,000 higher than in any other council authority.

And Green MSP Ross Greer has called for the debt to be written off by the local authority, which prompted a response from NA Council Leader Joe Cullinane.

Mr Greer said: “Children can’t get a good education if they’re hungry at school.

“I believe that North Ayrshire Council rightly ensures every pupil has a meal at lunchtime, even if they don’t have the money to cover it, but these figures make it clear that debts are being chased from families who simply can’t pay.

“With the cost of living crisis putting huge pressure on family finances, this is the right time to write off all outstanding meal debt.

“Pursuing the debt is causing stress and embarrassment for pupils and their families, but I know that staff are deeply uncomfortable asking pupils for money they know the family does not have.

“I’m proud that as a result of the co-operation agreement between the Greens and SNP we are rolling out free school meals to all primary school children, as well as taking other measures to help family budgets such as free bus travel for under 22s.

“Writing off this debt would be an excellent way for North Ayrshire to also help families with the financial burdens they face, rather than add to them.”

Council leader Mr Cullinane responded: “If Ross Greer had written a letter rather than a press release then he would know that under my leadership, any so-called debt that had been accumulated through school meals would be wiped as free school meals are rolled out.

“Indeed, if Mr Greer spent more time in North Ayrshire than he does in Edinburgh, he might have been aware that it was North Ayrshire Council that introduced the countries first school holiday meal programme to tackle holiday hunger.

“We have rolled out a network of community larders across the region and during the pandemic delivered over 1.5 million fresh meals to families and vulnerable residents before providing £4 per day, per child to replace free school meals during holiday periods – the highest spend per child in Scotland.

“Families across North Ayrshire were promised from August, all primary school pupils would receive free school meals.

“That date has now been ditched by the SNP-Green Government who are underfunding it.

“It is our Labour administration that is having to put millions of pounds into our capital programme to provide the investment needed to increase school kitchen capacity to deliver universal free school meals in Primary Schools.

“Now that his party is in Government, maybe Mr Greer should concentrate on delivering the promises that he made to people in North Ayrshire rather than chasing headlines on issues that are already being dealt with by the Labour administration.”