Our next budget must prioritise free school meals​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ - Lorna Slater

Building on this progress is not just a moral choice, it is a practical strategy to tackle child poverty, reduce stigma and make sure every young person has the fuel they need to learn, grow and thrive.

Free school meals are a simple way to counter child poverty

In budget concessions won by the Scottish Greens, free school meals were initially extended universally to every child in Primary 1 to Primary 5, a milestone that has helped tens of thousands of families.

The ongoing phased expansion to older primary pupils and more recently to secondary pupils whose families receive the Scottish Child Payment shows what is possible when we put fairness and children’s wellbeing at the centre of policy making.

Despite these gains, hundreds of thousands of children in Scotland still do not have access to a free, healthy meal at school every day. This is unacceptable in one of the wealthiest societies in human history.

Hungry children cannot concentrate, parents shoulder avoidable costs and the shame of school meal debt persists. A truly fair Scotland cannot allow this to continue.

With the Scottish Government finalising plans for the next budget, the Scottish Greens have put the urgent expansion of Free School Meals at the heart of our demands.

We want thousands more young people across Edinburgh and right across the country to benefit from a nutritious lunch every school day.

We have already secured pilot arrangements for secondary pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment in eight council areas, and we believe this must be rapidly rolled out nationwide and become universal.

Expansion also requires proper investment in kitchen infrastructure and staff to ensure meals are delivered well. This ambition will save families money, improve educational outcomes and make a tangible difference in the fight against child poverty. The money is there if we choose to prioritise it.

With the UK Government’s decision to abolish the two child benefit cap, there is now an opportunity to redirect funds previously set aside to mitigate that policy into a programme that directly tackles hunger and supports families in every community.

No child should ever go hungry at school. Free School Meals are one of the simplest and most effective tools we have to reduce child poverty and level the playing field for every child in Edinburgh and beyond..

Together, we can build a fairer, kinder and greener Scotland where every child has the chance to thrive.