MP seeks broad review of school meals funding

A Labour MP has called for universally free primary school meals and a national audit of school meal funding, including the Government's free-fruit scheme.

Speaking in a House of Commons debate, Stephen McCabe, who represents Birmingham Hall Green, suggested that there were better ways of spending public funds than giving out free pieces of fruit to primary school children.

A £42m fund currently provides 800,000 children with one piece of fresh fruit a day. The Government aims to give all two million primary school children one piece of fruit a day by the end of the year.

But McCabe said: "I am told that the same amount of money could provide about 26 million nutritious school meals. Personally, I think we should explore the notion of free, nutritious school meals for all primary school children."

McCabe said that current central government funding of child health programmes amounted to £173m, but the money was spread across various departments in 20 different programmes. "I would recommend a national audit of all the current funding," he said.

This week, Hull City Council started serving free school meals, which should go to all 79 primary schools in the city by the end of the year. The Government will monitor the effect on take-up and on academic performance and behaviour.