Ruth Kelly will today announce £280m of extra funding for the school meals service.

The money is aimed at encouraging healthy eating habits among school children.

The announcement coincides with the handing in of a petition to Downing Street by chef Jamie Oliver, calling for more money to promote healthy eating.

More than 271,000 people have signed his petition demanding the amount of money spent on meals be raised from 37p to 50p per child.

Tony Blair will meet the chef this morning for discussions about the state of school meals.

Yesterday Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said Oliver should be knighted.

"The government's recognition of the shocking diets of many of our young people is very welcome," he added.