No child should learn on an empty stomach, says Horsham MP

On Tuesday, Horsham's MP joined the Lead Association for Catering in Education (LACA) in Parliament to call for more school meals funding to ensure every child continues to receive a hot, healthy lunch. The LACA represents many of the UK's school meals providers and is campaigning to increase school meals funding to at least £3.16 per meal.

Speaking after the event, John Milne MP said: "In recent weeks, I've visited several schools in Horsham, and without exception, school leaders have raised concerns about school meal budgets. The government's 3p per pupil increase is welcome, but it does not come close to covering increased food and staffing costs. It leaves schools with impossible choices and risks children going hungry."

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a significant expansion of free school meals to all children living in poverty across both primary and secondary schools. They aim to provide them to all primary pupils when public finances allow.

The party also wants to introduce auto-enrolment to ensure no eligible child misses out and has tabled amendments to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to raise the earnings threshold for eligibility to £20,000 after tax, extending free school meals to a further 900,000 children.

Mr Milne added: "The current system is letting children down. School lunches are a proven way to ensure children are fed and ready to learn. A warm, healthy lunch can transform a child's afternoon in the classroom and improve long-term outcomes.A free school lunch may be the only proper meal some children get. I will continue to work alongside Liberal Democrat colleagues to ensure no child learns on an empty stomach."