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| Free meals ready to be served in infant schools | Free meals ready to be served in infant schools |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Pupils up to the age of seven in England will be entitled to a free hot school lunch from this week, when most schools re-open for the new term. | Pupils up to the age of seven in England will be entitled to a free hot school lunch from this week, when most schools re-open for the new term. |
| Education Minister David Laws told BBC News he expected some 15,200 primary schools - or 98% of the total - to be ready to provide the meals. | Education Minister David Laws told BBC News he expected some 15,200 primary schools - or 98% of the total - to be ready to provide the meals. |
| A small minority of schools will have to provide cold meals as their kitchens are not ready. | A small minority of schools will have to provide cold meals as their kitchens are not ready. |
| Mr Laws congratulated schools on "a truly fantastic job". | Mr Laws congratulated schools on "a truly fantastic job". |
| "Today our goal to offer every infant child a healthy, tasty school meal has become a reality, a move that will put money back in parents' pockets while ensuring all children get the best possible start in life." | "Today our goal to offer every infant child a healthy, tasty school meal has become a reality, a move that will put money back in parents' pockets while ensuring all children get the best possible start in life." |
| The government has provided £1bn to meet the costs of the meals over the next two years. | The government has provided £1bn to meet the costs of the meals over the next two years. |
| 'No kitchen' | 'No kitchen' |
| In addition, it has made £150m available to improve kitchen and dining facilities, plus an extra £22.5m for small schools. | In addition, it has made £150m available to improve kitchen and dining facilities, plus an extra £22.5m for small schools. |
| Schools will have a legal duty to offer the meals, which are expected to save families £400 per year per child. | Schools will have a legal duty to offer the meals, which are expected to save families £400 per year per child. |
| Some 1.89m children will be eligible, up from 367,000 previously when free school meals were limited to families on benefits or earning less than £16,190 a year. | Some 1.89m children will be eligible, up from 367,000 previously when free school meals were limited to families on benefits or earning less than £16,190 a year. |
| Some schools and local authorities initially complained that the funding was not enough for them to improve their facilities in time. | Some schools and local authorities initially complained that the funding was not enough for them to improve their facilities in time. |
| BBC research suggested some 2,700 schools would not be ready by September . | BBC research suggested some 2,700 schools would not be ready by September . |
| About 1,700 had no kitchen at all while others had inadequate kitchens and poor dining facilities. | About 1,700 had no kitchen at all while others had inadequate kitchens and poor dining facilities. |
| Leaked emails from within the Department for Education suggested some senior officials believed the policy had not been properly costed. | Leaked emails from within the Department for Education suggested some senior officials believed the policy had not been properly costed. |
| However, Mr Laws said the latest figures suggested most schools were ready. | However, Mr Laws said the latest figures suggested most schools were ready. |
| He said that for the next few weeks some 240 schools could only provide cold meals. Of these, some 50 or 60 would have to delay hot meals until January. | He said that for the next few weeks some 240 schools could only provide cold meals. Of these, some 50 or 60 would have to delay hot meals until January. |
| Family savings | Family savings |
| Carrieanne Bishop of the Lead Association for Catering in Education paid tribute "to the thousands of school cooks, caterers, teachers and council staff who have worked hard over the summer months to get schools ready for the start of term and introduction of infant free school meals. | Carrieanne Bishop of the Lead Association for Catering in Education paid tribute "to the thousands of school cooks, caterers, teachers and council staff who have worked hard over the summer months to get schools ready for the start of term and introduction of infant free school meals. |
| "This is an overwhelmingly positive policy that will bring a whole raft of benefits to schools, parents, teachers and children, now and in future years to come." | "This is an overwhelmingly positive policy that will bring a whole raft of benefits to schools, parents, teachers and children, now and in future years to come." |
| The Children's Food Trust described the rollout as "great news for children". | The Children's Food Trust described the rollout as "great news for children". |
| Chief executive Linda Cregan said: "Throughout we've been really impressed by the determination, will and enthusiasm of schools to overcome their challenges and offer all their infants a healthy, tasty lunch." | Chief executive Linda Cregan said: "Throughout we've been really impressed by the determination, will and enthusiasm of schools to overcome their challenges and offer all their infants a healthy, tasty lunch." |
| Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who announced the free meals plan last year, said said he was delighted to see it rolled out. | Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who announced the free meals plan last year, said said he was delighted to see it rolled out. |
| "All the evidence, including the pilots in Durham and Newham, shows that free school meals will not only help ease the pressure on household budgets and encourage positive eating, but will also help improve concentration and raise educational performance so that, regardless of their background, every child can have the best possible start in life," he said. | "All the evidence, including the pilots in Durham and Newham, shows that free school meals will not only help ease the pressure on household budgets and encourage positive eating, but will also help improve concentration and raise educational performance so that, regardless of their background, every child can have the best possible start in life," he said. |
| Ultimately Mr Clegg has said he would like to see free meals for all pupils up to the age of 11, a policy also recommended by a recent review of school food by the founders of the Leon restaurant chain. | Ultimately Mr Clegg has said he would like to see free meals for all pupils up to the age of 11, a policy also recommended by a recent review of school food by the founders of the Leon restaurant chain. |
| Are you a parent whose child will now receive a free meal? What will this mean for you? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |