Free school meals fracas breaks out in Lanarkshire

Oct 8 2008 by Robert Mitchell, Wishaw Press

NORTH Lanarkshire Council could be on a collision course with the Scottish Government over the projected £1million cost of the new free school meals scheme.

The council’s Education Convener Jim Logue has been reported as saying that the burden for footing the bill should not rest with the local authority and has called for the SNP-led government to find the cash to pay for it.

However, that stance has dismayed Nationalist politicians who reacted badly to the suggestion that other services across Lanarkshire may need to be cut in order to pay for the free school meals for five to seven-year-olds.

In an interview with the BBC Councillor Logue is reported as saying that the council’s breakfast clubs may need to be axed to pay for the SNP’s school meals policy, as the local authority simply won’t be able to foot the estimated £1m cost without making cuts elsewhere in education services.

However leader of North Lanarkshire Council Councillor Jim McCabe said: “North Lanarkshire Council is aware of the Scottish Government’s proposals for free school meals. At this time we are currently liaising with our environmental services to ascertain costs in this regard.

“For example, we have to find out how much the additional meals will cost, what the loss of income will be from those youngsters who will no longer pay, and any additional infrastructure and staffing costs.

“The additional costs of free school meals will also require to be considered against a backdrop of significant new cost pressures since the Cosla Scottish Government Concordat, for example, increased fuel costs and the outstanding pay settlement.

“The council is working to deliver the budget as agreed in April this year in order that we don’t pass on any extra charges to our customers or reduce the level of services we deliver.”

Central Scotland SNP MSP Alex Neil said there is plenty of scope for the scheme being funded by the local authority.

He said: “This proposal has been estimated to cost North Lanarkshire Council only £1m a year.

“If it insists cuts would be required to pay for the fantastic free school meals idea, North Lanarkshire Council should be cutting out the excessive layers of management in their own education department at the Civic Centre who aren’t delivering front line services, instead of threatening to deprive their school children with crucial services.

“Evidence from Finland and other countries shows that providing free school meals for young children makes them healthier, improves their educational performance and lessens the chance of heart disease, strokes and cancer in later years.

“Providing free school meals for all the primary one to threes in Scotland is a fantastic proposal brought forward by the Scottish Government and one I thought all local authorities would be supportive of.

“I want North Lanarkshire Council to recognise it has an obligation to children at its schools. It should be maintaining its educational services and supporting the free school meals package, not threatening to cut them.”