Scrapping free school lunches would waste £2,474,003 spent upgrading kitchens in Hertfordshire

Scrapping free school lunches would waste £2,474,003 spent upgrading kitchens in Hertfordshire

Plans by Theresa May to axe free school lunches would waste the £2,474,003 invested in Hertfordshire to upgrade school kitchens, according to the Liberal Democrats.

It comes after figures revealed 34,532 children in Hertfordshire are set to lose out under the Conservative proposals.

When in government, the Liberal Democrats invested £160m upgrading school kitchen facilities to enable them to prepare hot lunches, including £2,474,003 in Hertfordshire.

Liberal Democrat candidate for Hertford and Stortford, Mark Argent, commented:

"The Liberal Democrats in government invested £160m to give schools the kitchens they needed to ensure that no infant would go hungry, including £2,474,003 in Hertfordshire

"This policy was extremely successful and guaranteed that local children received at least two of their five a day in their school lunch.

"But now Theresa May is threatening to throw that money down the drain.

"A Conservative measure designed to save money will waste money. Not only is it heartless, it is bad economics.

"I challenge my Mark Prisk to say whether, if elected, he would vote against their own party to ensure that children in Hertford and Stortford receive a decent lunch.

"The Liberal Democrats will protect free school lunches for infants and ensure all primary school children can get a healthy, free lunch a day."

The government announced £150 million of funding to upgrade school facilities in 2015 (link)

An additional £10 million of funding was announced in 2015 to support the schools which most needed it (link)

The Liberal Democrats introduced free school meals when in government and have committed in their manifesto to extend free school meals to all primary school pupils (link, p.30)