Bidfood group sales and marketing director Andy Kemp has followed up his plea to Boris Johnson earlier this year to urgently review funding levels for school meals, to allow for significant price rises for food in 2022.
In his letter he says: “I sincerely hope that the new Government will have woken up to the cause and effect that the lack of policy concluded within the feeding of our school children.
“I cannot express more the hopes and wills of hundreds and thousands of your electorate in the cause and effect of inaction and complacency that finds this service failing and wanting.”
The figures he provides show that the existing £2.41 of Government funding to provide a meal to a child under the universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) scheme should be more like £3 to take account of rises in food costs.
He says: “To try and make my point, as Ministers you may want to consider the contribution that you personally make to your children who are being fed at private schools (should they attend a private school).
“My understanding is that the meal can cost anything between £6 and £9 for a lunch time service – quite a leveller when you compare this to the Government funding of £2.41.”