Calls for free school meals to be extended to more pupils

The National Food Strategy, a government-commissioned review into food and healthy eating, is calling for free school meals to be extended to another 1.5 million children in England.

Warning that there is a toxic connection between poor diet and child poverty, the review calls for many more children to be eligible for a free meal at school, as only 1% of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards of a school meal.

The review says they should be available to a further 1.5 million children, in addition to the 1.3 million already eligible - so almost one in three children would get free meals.

The extension of free school meals, which would cost of £670m per year, would expand eligibility to all children in households where the parent or guardian is claiming universal credit or equivalent benefits.

The food strategy also calls for a long-term commitment to feeding more families over the summer holidays, by making another 1.1 million children in England eligible for the "holiday activity and food programme", at a cost of £200m per year.