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National standards for school meals should be restored to stop children living on chips, David Blunkett, the shadow Secretary of State for Education, said yesterday.

Mr Blunkett told the Unison conference in Bournemouth that, on average, children ate chips at school three times a week. They received a third of their energy from school meals but national standards were abolished in 1980.

"Despite the best efforts of catering staff, children typically choose food which is high in fat and sugar and low in fibre, protein and vitamins."