£40m package announced for free school meals

At the Labour Party Conference in Manchester, the schools secretary explained how schools in areas of England would trial free school meals in a radical move that many organisations like LACA have so long campaigned for. Local Authorities in deprived areas are being invited to bid to take part in a two year pilot which will look at the health benefits of free school meals. It will investigate whether free school meals: * reduce obesity / have an impact on a child's BMI; * change eating habits at home; * impact on behaviour and academic performance at school; * improve school standards; and * improve general health and well being. Three Local Authorities in deprived areas will take part in the two year pilot. Two authorities will trial free school lunches to all primary school children while in the third area the eligibility rules will be extended. Ed Balls highlighted how making sure each child has a hot meal daily is the priority: "We want a healthy lunch at school not just for some, but for every child. And we want to make sure that children, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds who need it most, are getting a free hot meal every school day." Adding: "These trials will show us whether making the lunches free in primary schools does, in fact, improve behaviour, school and results and healthy eating at home." LACA Chair, Neil Porter welcomed the news but did warn that the timescale of the trial could hamper the longer term goals: "In essence this is something we at LACA have been campaigning for over a long period of time. It is excellent news. We would however be interested in how sustainable this trial is. The speech talks about the battle of obesity and a two year trial may not be long enough." The Departments for Health and Children, Schools and Families have allocated £20 million for the trials over the next two years. Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts will be asked to bid to join the pilots on the basis of matched funding, resulting in a total budget of £40 million per year for the two years. Brian Strutton, GMB National Secretary also welcomed the announcement: "Free school meals for all will dramatically increase the number of children who have school lunches and will also drive out the 'crisps and chocolate' packed lunches that too many of our children are sent to school with. We are confident that these pilots will be successful and that the programme will be extended as planned. We can now look forward to the day when all schoolchildren will have free, healthy school lunches and GMB members in school kitchens will be proud to cook them."