Scrapping free school lunches would waste the money spent upgrading kitchens in Wiltshire schools

Plans by Theresa May to axe free school lunches would waste the £786,427 invested in the county to upgrade school kitchens, according to the Liberal Democrats.

It comes after figures revealed 13,630 children in Wiltshire are set to lose out under the Conservative proposals.

The coalition government invested £160m upgrading school kitchen facilities to enable them to prepare hot lunches.

Liberal Democrat candidate for South West Wiltshire Trevor Carbin commented:

"The Liberal Democrats in government invested £160m to give schools the kitchens they needed to ensure that no infant would go hungry.

"This policy was extremely successful and guaranteed that local children received 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.

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

Notes

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