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Schools Minister David Laws has written to Linda Cregan of the Children’s Food Trust and Carrieanne Bishop from LACA to thank them and all of their colleagues for their hard work supporting schools to deliver Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) from September.

He wrote: "I know that you share my conviction that offering free, nutritious school meals to all infants pupils will bring significant benefits in terms of their health, behaviour and attainment, as well as saving time and money for hard pressed parents. And I know, too, that you are committed not only to ensuring that all schools meet their statutory commitments from September, but to making this the start of a journey towards a really high quality, financially viable school meals service in every school, and a whole school approach to food which reflects the vision set out in the School Food Plan.

“The Deputy Prime Minister and I knew when we announced the policy last year that some schools would find it challenging to put the necessary arrangements in place for September; but we are confident that with the right support it could be done, and we believed passionately that it should be done.

“I am absolutely delighted that we have no schools rated ‘red’, and the fact that this is the case is a true testament to the excellent support which you and your colleagues have given to schools, local authorities and others over the last five months.

“I am extremely grateful for all of your hard work, as well as your flexibility in responding to changing demands from me and the team here at DfE.”

“I believe we can have every confidence that the policy will be successfully delivered in thousands of schools across the country in September, delivering a new entitlement to a healthy school lunch to around 1.5m children. That is an achievement of which we can all be proud.”