London (Parliament News) – Westminster City Council will continue free school meals indefinitely for children aged 3-14, thanks to Mayor Sadiq Khan’s commitment, aiming to support families amidst rising costs.
Will Free School Meals in Westminster Continue Permanently?
Free lunch meals in nurseries and secondary schools in Westminster will persist to be performed on a “permanent basis”, the borough has declared. Labour-run Westminster City Council approved this week that it will be extending its schedule of free school meals for pupils between the ages of 3-14 into the forthcoming academic year and beyond.
What Impact Will Sadiq Khan’s Promise Have on Meals?
The promise has been made possible, the council stated, thanks to London mayor Sadiq Khan committing in his re-election manifesto this year to make his programme of free school meals permanent.
Mr Khan’s re-election suggests that the earliest his scheme could be removed would be upon the election of a future mayor, which is not anticipated any sooner than May 2028.
The London-wide programme delivers lunches on a universal basis for all state primary school children in the capital. Some boroughs, like Westminster, were already delivering those meals when Mr Khan undertook the policy, initially on a year-long basis, in 2023 – but all councils have obtained funding regardless, allowing some to extend their offer to younger and older children.
Who Benefits Most from Westminster’s Free Meal Initiative?
In Westminster, meals are delivered on a universal basis to nursery children and pupils up to and including Year 9 at secondary schools in the borough. In Tower Hamlets, headed by mayor Lutfur Rahman and his left-wing Aspire party, the council has moved further, by offering free meals to all secondary school pupils through to Year 11. The East London council declared these additional lunches have also evolved into an “ongoing” commitment, as they have been produced into the authority’s base budget.
How Do Free School Lunches Support Westminster Families?
Labour-run Southwark meanwhile delivers free lunches to all secondary school students whose families obtain universal credit, but who would ordinarily skip out because they earn beyond ÂŁ7,400 per year as a household.
Westminster council leader Adam Hug stated the extra free school meals in his borough “have presented a lifeline to struggling households during a time of soaring food and energy prices”.
He said: “We want children in Westminster to have the most promising start in life. Extending our free school lunch offer is an essential step in supporting families and assuring children can focus on their learning.
“We’ve heard unfortunate stories of children being sent to school with just a pair of biscuits in their lunchbox. Research indicates that a nutritious lunch has enormous advantages for a child’s concentration in the classroom and maximising their education potential. “The council has also revealed a further £1.9million for our Household Support Fund, which goes towards supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our societies. That brings our total Cost of Living support package to more than £23million.”