Nicola Sturgeon announces extension to free school meals programme in Scotland

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced an extension to Scotland’s free school meals programme to help low income families feed children over the summer holidays.

Around 175,000 children currently receive free school meals provisions, in Scotland, through cash payments, supermarket vouchers, as well as by direct supply of food.

Speaking at her daily press briefing, Ms Sturgeon said: “I can confirm today that this provision will be extended right throughout the summer holiday period.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced an extension to Scotland’s free school meals programme to help low income families feed children over the summer holidays (Photo by Andrew Milligan - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Just minutes later, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced similar proposals in England, despite last week having rejected a plea from Manchester United star Marcus Rashford to provide free school meals to children.

“We know families are under considerable financial pressure just now,” Ms Sturgeon told reporters, “and free school meals are a vital help to many, but they are also really important to the health and wellbeing of children.

“So we will provide 12.6 million pounds in funding to local authorities to enable the continuation of free school meals during the period from the end of June to the start of the new term in August.

“The funding will be allocated in a way that allows councils, as many of them currently do, to coordinate school meal provision with wider support that they make available to families,” she added.

Usually, every child in Scotland at a local council school can get free school lunches in primary 1, 2 and 3 - regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

But children in those years will not automatically qualify for free school meals during the summer extension announced today.

Families who wish to access the provision will need to contact their local council to apply for free school meals for their children.

For more information, visit the free school meals website here.

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