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Crunch test for school meals plan MSPs back free school meals plan
(about 2 hours later)
Plans to give free school meals to Scots pupils in the first three years of primary school are likely to pass a crucial test, despite ongoing concerns. Plans to introduce free school meals for all Primary 1 to 3 pupils has passed a crucial hurdle.
A Holyrood committee is expected to back a piece of legislation allowing councils to put the policy into action. Legislation allowing councils to provide the free lunches was backed by Holyrood's Education Committee, despite opposition parties' refusal to back it.
Rival parties said it was still unclear how it would be paid for, but ministers insisted councils already had the cash to fund the scheme. Labour, Tory and Lib Dem members said there were still questions about how the policy would work.
The free meals policy would still have to be approved by the full parliament. Children's Minister Adam Ingram insisted the policy, which still needs parliament approval, was fully funded.
Conservative and Liberal Democrat MSPs on the committee voted against the legislation, while Labour members abstained.
Joint support
Scottish ministers decided to bring forward proposals to roll out free meals in 2010 after a pilot in several areas of Scotland, which saw the take-up rise from 53% to 75%.Scottish ministers decided to bring forward proposals to roll out free meals in 2010 after a pilot in several areas of Scotland, which saw the take-up rise from 53% to 75%.
Rolling out free school meals will ensure all children have access to good quality food every day Aileen CampbellSNP MSP The Scottish Government said councils would be expected to find the money for the scheme from the funding settlement already agreed, but some local authorities have said they cannot afford to offer free school meals. Opposition parties have articulated the concerns of some councils that they do not have the cash to fund free meals.
The Scottish Parliament's cross-party Education Committee is expected to support the policy. Ministers said policy was already fully funded, through the local government settlement, with £30m from 2010.
But the Conservatives and Labour, which supports free meals in principle, said the legislation would not actually require local authorities to provide free meals for five to seven-year-olds. Meanwhile, the committee was sent a letter supporting the policy, signed by a list of organisations including the Church of Scotland, Save the Children and the Association of Head Teachers and Deputes in Scotland.
They have demanded to know what action ministers would take against any councils which decided not to implement the policy, while claiming funding for the scheme was still unclear.
Ministers have insisted the policy is already fully funded, with £30m from 2010, while council umbrella group Cosla has denied claims from some authorities that services would have to be cut to pay for it.
'Tragedy' warning
Nationalist MSP Aileen Campbell, who sits on the committee, said local authorities would be prevented from offering free lunches in future if MSPs voted against the measure.
"Rolling out free school meals will ensure all children, including the 90,000 children in poverty without access to free lunches, have access to good quality food every day," she said.
Ms Campbell's comments came after she received a letter supporting the policy, signed by a list of organisations including the Church of Scotland, Save the Children and the Association of Head Teachers and Deputes in Scotland.
"Given the consensus that exists on the importance of nutrition to children's development, we believe it would be a tragedy if a scheme which has boosted healthy school meal uptake so significantly was prevented from being rolled out by local authorities," the letter stated."Given the consensus that exists on the importance of nutrition to children's development, we believe it would be a tragedy if a scheme which has boosted healthy school meal uptake so significantly was prevented from being rolled out by local authorities," the letter stated.