Mayor launches £130m free school meal scheme for London primary pupils
London's mayor Sadiq Khan has announced he is launching a £130m scheme to give every primary school pupil free school meals for the next academic year.
A spokesperson said funding for the project was made possible because council tax and business rates returns from the capital's local authorities were higher than originally forecast in the mayor's draft budget proposals. He continued: "The difference they can make to children who are at risk of going hungry - and to families who are struggling to make ends meet - is truly game-changing."Mr Khan says the difference free school meals can make to children's lives is "game-changing"
Charities and teaching unions have welcomed the plans, but some have urged central government to step up wider support.Barbara Crowther from the Children's Food Campaign said: "We applaud the mayor for announcing this vital nutritional safety net for every single primary school child in London for the coming academic year.
Meanwhile Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary at the National Education Union , said the scheme would be "a much-needed lifeline" that could also help "attainment and educational outcomes". A Department for Education spokesman said more than two million schoolchildren had received a free meal since 2010, "thanks to the introduction of universal infant free school meals plus generous protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to universal credit".
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