Learning to Cook Key to Saving Money in Hard Times: UK Report

MOSCOW, December 8 (Sputnik) — People in the United Kingdom are likely to experience hunger if they do not have the basic cooking skills to cope during times of financial difficulty, a report published on Monday by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) said.

"Individuals and families are most at risk of experiencing hunger when the practical and financial resources are not there to prevent or, if this fails, to deal with a crisis when it strikes," the report published on the APPG website said.

The document added that during crises people with no cooking skills "may have difficulties budgeting for a week's worth of shopping, for example, as whatever income there might be is devoted to other, non-essential items of expenditure or to paying off debt. Some households may also find it difficult to prepare or cook decent meals from scratch, making them much more likely to rely on ready meals or takeaways."

Members of the APPG therefore urged that cooking skills be given a statutory basis in the UK National Curriculum so that students have basic cooking skills upon leaving school.

"Academies and free schools should be encouraged to embed these skills into their learning programmes, so that all young people leave school with a basic set of cooking skills," the report added.

According to the report, some children go to school unfed because their parents do not make them breakfast or do not take them to the school's breakfast club.

The study also revealed that some accommodation in the UK provided by local authorities is equipped only with a microwave or a kettle.