Food tsar calls for increase in free school meals in cost-of-living crisis

Henry Dimbleby told MPs that expanding provision was ‘one of the best measures we can do’ to address the impacts of the rising cost of living.

Henry Dimbleby authored the National Food Strategy (Anthony Devlin/PA) (PA Archive)

The Government’s food tsar has called for the “almost immediate” increase in free school meals as families struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

Henry Dimbleby, who authored the National Food Strategy, told MPs that expanding provision was “one of the best measures we can do” to address the impacts of the rising cost of living.

Asked by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee how he thought the Government should respond to the rising cost of living, Mr Dimbleby said: “These problems are not spread equally, they are geographically concentrated in certain areas and not always in the areas you think.

“So for example I was at a school in Plymouth the other day which had relatively low free school meals – about 20% free school meals – but it had an enormous number of people who were just about the threshold. So you would look at that and think that’s not an area we need to focus on but actually those people are really going to struggle.

It is one of the best measures we can do

Henry Dimbleby

“I do think the Government needs to be really looking at that data on a local level and understanding how it can structure that support.

“On a national level, the thing that needs to happen almost immediately is the increase of free school meals. It’s one of the best levers – 50% of a child’s calories in term time are taken in school. It is one of the best measures we can do.”

He added that the Government should not only be looking at the eligibility of free school meals but also at Healthy Start cut-off points.

He said: “We know that the majority of people support universal free school meals, we know that the vast majority of people support free school meals for everyone on universal credit.

“It is such an easy thing to do. PricewaterhouseCoopers costed it at about £447 million but they also looked at the investment case and in terms of saving in health spending, an increase in productivity and improved education, it actually pays for itself. It’s a no-brainer for me.”

He later added: I think it will be seen as one of those things we can’t believe we didn’t have, in the same way that free school meals were resisted by a lot of people in the early 20th century and now the idea that you didn’t have them would be considered ridiculous.

“This is definitely an area where we should be seeking not only to match our neighbours but also to outstrip them if we can.”

He told the committee: “The evidence is completely unrefuted, which is that increasing free school meals and universal free school meals will pay for itself.

“It improves the culture performance in those schools, it improves the performance in those schools, it improves the health of the children in those schools and it sets them up better to become productive adults. It is absolutely, in my mind, no question it’s the right thing to do.”