Scarborough and Whitby MP says substandard free school meals 'is not a widespread problem'

It follows a complaint from a parent at Friarage Primary School about the quality of the free school meal packages they were provided with for their children.

The parent said: “It worries me for the kids who are genuinely in need. At school at least they are prepared to have a hot meal every day. If that’s what is getting sent home for families it scares me that there are kids who aren’t eating."

The Scalby Learning Trust which runs the school said it had heard the complaints, that they were justified, and they are very disappointed.

Brian Crosby, the designated CEO of the trust says Friarage Primary School will be swapping to a voucher scheme by the end of the week.

Mr Goodwill said: "This does not seem to be a widespread problem around the country. Many schools are serving sandwiches and cold food anyway for children attending school because of Covid restraints.

"The pictures we saw from elsewhere in the country were not acceptable. This is an issue down to the school itself and the catering contractors who supply meals in the school who have now been asked to supply food parcels at short notice.

"Most homes will have access to kitchen facilities and store cupboard ingredients so a baked potato with some cheese on would make a nutritious lunch."

However, Government guidance says that food parcels should not not rely on parents having additional ingredients at home to prepare meals.

He continued: "There did seem to be quite a lot of fruit on the pictures I saw which is healthy and nutritious and, indeed, can easily be made into a fruit salad.

"I would rather parents had ingredients to make a hot meal at home than have cold sandwiches."

The Government was yet again forced into another U-turn as its 'food parcel first' policy was dropped and a new national voucher scheme will be available from next Monday.

Footballer Marcus Rashford first forced the government into a U-turn in June over the provision of free school meals for children during the summer holidays.

He forced the government’s hand on child hunger once again in the autumn on expanding the free school meals programme through subsequent school holidays.