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." DAVID CAMERON'S relations with Gordon Brown reached a new depth today after the Tory leader hit back at claims that he used his children as "props".

Mr Cameron joked at the Carlton Political Dinner in London that he was surprised his wife Sam hadn't introduced him, but added she is "my wife, not a prop". Mr Brown won cheers yesterday with his attack on Mr Cameron's frequent use of his children in photocalls. He today repeated his determination to keep his children out of the limelight.

Mr Cameron last night also mocked Mr Brown's decision to "name-check" most of his Cabinet. He said his shadow cabinet was an asset because "they come up with loads of ideas and I take all the credit".

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Comment: Real test now is to put things right

Reader views (11)

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Stop spending our money. Clear the debts that you have created.

- Frank, BONCATH, WALES

This is a good start if it keeps kids away from unhealthy food, although any benefits won't be felt for decades. Now how about getting the kids to do compulsory hours in the school kitchens, so they actually learn how to cook proper food too.

- Mark T, Sydney, Aust

More idiot ideas from this weak and dying government.

- Vince London, West London

I'm a OAP. What about free meals for the people, like me, who have actually contributed to this pathetic scramble by this ummoral govenment to keep from having to do some work themselves, like us re4gularly mugged electors.

- Lezli Taubler, London/UK

Why not just give every child £10 for lunch it would work out cheaper!!

Also if you cannot afford to feed your own child don't have them!!

- Terry Senton, harrow

Make parents pay for it, why should the people without kids keep subsidizing families?

If you want kids pay for them yourselves!

- D Simpson, london

It is the parents who need educating regarding cooking healthy food. Can we have compulsory home economics for adults with what's left of the £1Billion after administrative costs (joke).

- Rod, Epping UK

As far as the kids are concerned, when it's free food or no food, they'll eat school meals! And the government can find the cash for this and fourteen similar projects, if only it could be be persuaded to scrap ID cards (which were set to cost £15 billion last time I heard).

- Nigel, London

Well,they're clearly not 'free' meals then, are they?
Good innit, I'm paying for kids I don't even like and an Olympics I care even less for.
Just typing this while I'm supposed to be working makes me feel a bit better for some reason.

- Steve, London

The more unpopular the government gets, the more of your money they give away. When Balls gets into the act, all I can say is "balls". It may perhaps be a good idea to turn all schools into restaurants since they are not providing education and most NUT members will likely turn out to be better dishwashers than teachers.

- Ciccio, Toronto, Canada.

What makes them think they can achieve what Jamie Oliver failed to do. These kids do not want to eat healthy food. They really are desperate to stay in No 10 aren't they! This should have been done years ago.

- Charlie, London

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