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Keynote speaker at LACA’s Main Event on July 9th, Janet Street-Porter, has taken up the issue of school meals in her regular weekly column in the Independent newspaper.

The day after she spoke to delegates in Birmingham, telling them she’d ban children form bringing packed lunches to school, she reiterated her argument in the national, daily paper.

Under the heading ‘Some food for thought for the Chancellor’, she wrote:

“George Osborne says he wants to give kids a better start in life, but his Budget omitted to extend one radical policy introduced by the Coalition which really would make a difference. The Chancellor should have provided funding for compulsory free school meals for all. Since the introduction of free meals for pupils up to the age of seven, there’s been an 85 per cent take-up.

“The Government must ban packed lunches and insist all councils refuse planning permission to fast food outlets within a mile of any school. Forget human rights and choice, the child obesity crisis would be nailed if my radical proposal was adopted. Choice allows gangs and groupings to emerge in the playground.

“Eating together means pupils have to develop relationships and social skills. Make cookery compulsory from the age of six and introduce after-school classes for young mums and dads. I spoke at a conference organised by the providers of school meals this week; they fret that cuts to funding will have an impact on their services.

“But surely the savings to the NHS if our children are healthier will balance the books. The benefits to their education are unquestionable – children need routine, and the discipline of sitting and eating together. It’s not about class or income, but about building a community.”