At the Conservative Party Conference MP for Surrey Heath, the former education secretary, Michael Gove highlighted the importance of expanding free school meals to the 800,000 children living in poverty who are not eligible to receive them.

He said, “What we can do is extend free school meals to every child in a family in receipt of universal credit… Given the scale of the challenge we face and the benefits that it brings… It seems to me that this is a more than worthwhile intervention.”

Michael’s comments were supported by LACA chair Brad Pearce, who said via Twitter: “Fully support this call #everychildeverytime #makingadifference.”

He received support from school meals campaigner and chef Jamie Oliver, who remarked, “This is promising to hear. Right now 800,000 children living in poverty don’t have access to free school meals. This needs to change. #FeedTheFuture.”

A government spokesperson said it had “expanded access to free school meals more than any other government in recent decades, which currently reach 1.9 million children”.

“We are also investing up to £24m in our national school breakfast programme, which provides free breakfasts to children in schools in disadvantaged areas.”


(source: LACA)