LACA comments on the free school meals announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
LACA is absolutely delighted by the announcement that all infant school children aged 5-7 will receive free school meals.
It also provides a huge boost for the school catering industry and will be very welcome news for school food providers. We hope that funds will be made available to ensure that all schools have the necessary facilities to provide hot nutritious meals to every pupil in England.
This is a huge step forward and will make a massive difference for children in terms of health, attainment and social mobility. There have been multiple reports in recent weeks on the financial difficulties faced by families and the impact that this has had on children's diets. This announcement will be a great relief to those across the country who are struggling to make ends meet, with initial estimates suggesting that families will save on average £400 per year per child.