PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
QUALITY SCHOOL LUNCHES (5 July 2010)

That this House recognises that good school meals are essential to protect child health, improve behaviour, develop social skills, contribute to an effective curriculum and maximise pupils' ability to learn and achieve; is alarmed that a quarter of children are now overweight or obese; believes that this makes them more likely to suffer from serious health problems later in life, costing the NHS 10 billion a year; notes that the implementation of food and nutritional standards in primary and secondary schools has seen great improvement in the quality of food served in schools; further notes the significant contribution made by the school catering industry and the 100,000 jobs in the UK economy which depend on it; further believes that local food procurement can support British farming; is concerned that forthcoming cuts to local authority budgets will jeopardise the quality and many benefits of the school meal service; and calls on the Secretary of State for Education to follow the Food for Life Partnership's recommendations to protect the school meal service from the pressures of local authority spending cuts by introducing a minimum spend per pupil for ingredients, enabling a virtuous circle of improved food quality and increased take-up of school lunches, spreading fixed costs further and ensuring that a quality catering service remains economically viable and an essential part of good food culture in schools.

Sponsored by:
Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat)