Listen
Free school meals
13/05/2009
Regulations to extend the entitlement to nutritious, free school lunches will be brought before the Scottish Parliament today in a move that will see an additional 44,000 young people in Scotland eligible from August this year.
All pupils whose parents receive both maximum Child Tax Credit and maximum Working Tax Credit will become eligible for free school meals, honouring a commitment in the Scottish Government's Concordat with local authorities. This means that low income parents in employment are not unfairly penalised.
Further plans to provide all Primary 1 to Primary 3 pupils in Scotland with free school lunches will come into effect from August 2010, with the aim of encouraging healthy eating habits from a young age.
Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, said:
"The Scottish Government is committed to helping Scotland's hard-pressed families as much as we can, particularly in these times of economic uncertainty. Extending the free school lunches entitlement will make a real difference for these families - with an average saving of £9 per week for each child.
"This measure will also ensure that more young people receive a healthy and nutritious lunch every school day. We are determined to improve the health of the nation and encouraging healthier eating habits at a young age is an important step.
"That's why we have introduced new healthy guidelines for all food provided in schools and are bringing in changes that will allow every P1-P3 pupil in Scotland to receive a free school meal each lunchtime from August next year."
John Dickie, Head of the Child Poverty Action Group, said:
"With more families facing real financial pressure, this extension of free school lunches entitlement couldn't come at a better time. Too many children in poverty have missed out on free school lunches because their parents worked.
"Alongside the roll out of free school lunches for all P1-P3 children, this is a major step toward ensuring all our children get a healthy meal during the school day. It will help boost children's health, education and wellbeing, free up stretched family budgets for other essentials and mean that more parents can move back into work without losing out on an important benefit."
The Education (School Lunches) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 will mean that the children of parents with an award of both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit (based on an income below £6,420) will now also be eligible for free school lunches, which applies to an additional 44,000 pupils. Previously, around 118,000 pupils were eligible, creating a new total of some 162,000. The other eligibility criteria are when the parents are receiving Income Support, Income-based Job Seeker's Allowance, or an income of less than 15,575 (in 2008-09 as assessed by the Inland Revenue). Pupils between 16 and 18 years old and receiving any of these benefits in their own right can claim free school meals for themselves. Asylum seekers receiving support under the Immigration and Asylum Act may also be eligible.
A free school lunch trial for P1-P3 pupils was held across five local authority areas from October 2007 to June 2008 and found significant increases in school meals uptake, with pupils, schools and parents all very positive about the experience. As a result of this trial and as set out in the Concordat, local authorities will be able to provide free school lunches to all P1-P3 pupils in Scotland from August 2010.
New, healthy school food guidelines came into effect in all primary schools from August last year. Schools must provide balanced and nutritious meals and not offer sweets or fizzy drinks. At least two portions of fruit and vegetables are served every lunchtime; deep fried food is limited to three items each week; and oily fish must be served at least once every three weeks. From August 2010 these measures will also apply in secondary schools.