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Thursday, 02 October 2008 |
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 SNP MSP Bob Doris today welcomed the Scottish Government's support for introducing free school meals for all primary one to primary three pupils after successful trials in five areas across Scotland.
Speaking after Cabinet Secretary for Education Fiona Hyslop confirmed in a parliamentary answer to Mr Doris that the Scottish Government will bring forward the necessary legislation SNP MSP Bob Doris said: "This is excellent news from the Scottish Government.
"I know in Glasgow many children have benefited from the provision of free healthy and nutritious school meals. It has also helped many families who may be just over the current income level for free school meals but would have found the cost of school lunches every day difficult to meet.
"Whether we are addressing health or poverty issues free school meals ensure all our young children receive at least one good, healthy meal a day.
"With the number of children taking free school meals increasing by over 30% in some of the pilot areas and increases even amongst those children already entitled to free school meals across the pilot areas this is excellent news.
"This is a welcome announcement today and I hope that not only will we see all local authorities deliver on this pledge in August 2010 but that some may be able to introduce this scheme ahead of schedule. "Glasgow has horrendous levels of poor health and poverty and it's about time we started addressing that. As we saw in the report published this week by the Campaign to end Child Poverty, in some areas of Glasgow almost 100% of children live in poverty. It's completely unacceptable and worse, it's unnecessary.
"In the pilots Glasgow had the lowest increase in uptake but it was still a tremendous 22% increase. In addition to that, there was an increase amongst p4 to p7 pupils taking school lunches which allayed the concerns of those who feared additional queues in school canteens would deter older children from eating.
"As a former 'dinner ticket kid' myself I am not surprised that taking away the stigma increases uptake - the pilot scheme even saw an uptake amongst those who were already entitled to free school meals but not taking them. Ensuring children have at least one nutritious meal a day will have a significant impact on tackling obesity and poverty in Glasgow, a city that is badly in need of it.
"I described the original pilot schemes as a "step change". The decision of the SNP government to roll out the scheme across Scotland means sees this country taking a tremendous leap toward a healthier, wealthier and fairer Scotland."
Note:
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT WRITTEN ANSWER 2 October 2008 (S3W-16683)
Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the report of the evaluation of its free school meals trial for P1 to P3 pupils in five local authorities.
Ms Fiona Hyslop: The report of the evaluation of the free school meals trial is being published on Thursday 2 October. I have introduced an Order to the Scottish Parliament which will allow all local authorities to provide free school meals for P1 - P3 pupils enabling this concordat commitment to be delivered as planned from August 2010 in all schools in Scotland.
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