FREE SCHOOL MEALS

That this House notes the study carried out by the Child Poverty Action Group in 2000-01 on school meals, which reported the stigmatisation of families and their children through receipt of free school meals; further notes that this study also reported that by extending entitlement to free school meals the disposable income of the poorest families could rise by up to £27 a week; and congratulates Bolton Council on its announcement of the introduction of free school meals to all starters at primary school in the first term from September 2008, with the hope that this can be extended to the full school year later.