Labour's plan for free school meals will cost taxpayers £1bn

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A government plan to give free lunches to every primary school child in England will cost £1billion a year.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has announced £20 million of government cash for a pilot scheme.

He is considering free healthy dinners for all primary school children in the hope that the plan will reduce childhood obesity and improve pupils' concentration in lessons.

Headteachers warned that classroom budgets must not be cut to pay for the scheme, which would cost an estimated £4 million a day across the country.

The plan is one of several "big ideas" set to be included in Labour's next general election manifesto.

Speaking at the party's annual conference in Manchester, Mr Balls said:

"We want a healthy lunch at school not just for some, but for every child.

"We want to make sure that children, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds who need it most, are getting a free hot meal every school day.

These trials will show us whether making the lunches free in primary schools does, in fact, improve behaviour and results and healthy eating at home."

The Government will spend £20 million over the next two years on pilot schemes in three areas while councils and Primary Care Trusts will be asked to bid to join the trials and add their own funding.

Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "The only way to ensure that children do not bring in lunch boxes full of E numbers is to give them healthy food at school. But we want to make sure there are no cuts in school budgets."

At the moment free school meals only go to children of poorer families but one in five eligible pupils does not take up the offer.

Tory shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "Parents everywhere are feeling the pinch and we do need to improve school meal provision. But Ed Balls's promise on free school meals is just spin - he refuses to commit the money to pay for it and all he's really talking about is a pilot scheme."