Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been urged to provide more information about how he will implement his free school meals initiative.
In February 2023, the Mayor announced that he would provide £130m in funding to ensure all primary school children in London receive free school meals during the 2023-24 academic year.
In a new report, the London Assembly Economy Committee welcomes the move but warns it is important that there is a long-term solution to the problem as well as ‘a short-term fix’.
It also called on the Mayor to provide further information about how he will implement his programme of free school meal provision, including how he will support schools to expand their provision.
‘The provision of free school meals is vital to alleviating food insecurity among children from low-income households and we welcome the Mayor’s free schools meals announcement,’ said committee chair Hina Bokhari AM.
‘However, he said this was a ‘one-off proposal’, and we need a long-term solution. That is why we are urging the Mayor to provide further information on the scheme and for detailed costings.’
The report also called on the Mayor to work with the government and local authorities in London to develop plans to expand the provision of free school meals once his own funding comes to an end.
