Kelly: More cash for school meals

Mounting a push for the parental vote, Labour has unveiled a £280m cash boost for school meals.

Despite claims of opportunism, Tony Blair met with Jamie Oliver where he gave his backing to moves to lift the standard of school meals.

The government announced a minimum budget of 50 pence for primary school meals and 60 pence in secondary schools.

From September and over the next three years, schools and local education authorities will be supported in transforming school meals with healthy food, prepared fresh on the premises by trained school cooks.

Education secretary Ruth Kelly said: "It's the biggest sum that I've ever heard being put into school food and I think it will make a real transforming difference to school dinners.

"What we are saying to local authorities and schools is that you now have at least 50 pence to spend on ingredients for primary schoolchildren and 60 pence for secondary schoolchildren. But we recognise that it's not just about the cost of ingredients.

"It's also about training for chefs and catering staff at schools, it's about having modern facilities and specialist help, it's about having new school kitchens."

Dinner ladies

Oliver, who was delivering a petition to Number 10, said he supported the government's latest initiative but promised to remain "the voice of the dinner lady".

The government's commitment was given a warm welcome by education unions.

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said ministers had finally recognised the importance of schools providing "decent, healthy meals".

"All heads are committed to improving the quality of school meals because of the obvious benefits for children. But they cannot find the cash from within their existing budgets when there are so many other pressures which need to be addressed," he added.

But the Opposition said the government was chasing headlines rather than focusing on lifting the standard of school meals.

"After eight years in office, 10 education Bills and four secretaries of state, it is breathtakingly cynical for Tony Blair suddenly to claim he is passionate about the quality of school meals," said shadow education secretary Tim Collins.

"It is typical of his style of government to ignore an issue until a celebrity chef makes a TV programme about it. Ministers have this morning refused to confirm there is new money, proving this is all talk."