4th Jun 2009 - 00:00
Abstract
Council leaders are to ask the Scottish Government for more funding for free school dinners, according to a leaked report acquired by The Scotsman.
In October 2008, the government said it would increase the provision of free meals to an additional 44,000 kids. From August, parents who are entitled to the maximum working tax credit and the child tax credit will be included in the plan. In addition, all pupils in the first three years of primary school will be entitled to free school dinners from August 2010. The Convention of Scottish Authorities (Cosla) devised a report in May to keep leaders enlightened about the financial implications of the policy they have committed to. The report revealed that £40 million is available in 2010-11, however councils predict that it will cost £55 million to deliver the commitments in 2011-12. Karen Whitefield, Labour's early years spokeswoman, described the policy as a "cruel deception", meanwhile a spokesman for the teaching union for the EIS said that everyone must work together to ensure that the provision of high quality school meals can be delivered to primary school children. A spokesman for the Scottish Government concluded: "Under the concordat between the Scottish Government and Cosla, sufficient funding is included in the local government settlement to extend enetitlement to free school lunches."
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