Cllr Hilary Nelson said councillors had carefully considered whether stepping in was the right role for the town council before deciding they had a duty to act. She said: "We had a really long conversation about whether this was the right thing for the town council to be doing. Rather than simply providing food parcels, the council backed a programme combining meals with practical cooking and healthy eating skills. He said the council had no intention of making such funding a regular responsibility but believed stepping in had protected the area's most vulnerable families. Cllr Ian Barlow praised East Devon District Council officers for helping deliver the scheme.