| |
Price of school meals set to rise
THE price of school meals is to rise after the summer holidays.
Education bosses at Westminster City Hall will make parents fork out an extra 5p for a daily meal from September.
The council says the cost of meals has risen every year since 1993 and the 6,000 or so parents who take up the service still pay some of the lowest charges in London.
Meals at primary schools will go up from £1.65 to £1.70, and at secondary schools from £1.70 to £1.75.
The borough’s primary and secondary schools have one of the highest uptakes of school meals in the country, with 65 per cent of all pupils choosing the option over a packed lunch or food from outside the school.
Councillor Mark Page, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Our school meals are healthy and nutritious and are some of the cheapest in London, providing excellent value for money for Westminster’s pupils.
“This year as in previous years we have increased their price by just 5p to cover the rising food and fuel costs but we remain committed to ensuring we continue to provide good quality school meals.
“This is why all of our school meals are heavily subsidised with 73p out of every meal paid for by the council, an increase of 22p on the previous year.
The council’s school meals contractor, Scolarest, which has had the contract since 2006, charges the council £1.87 per meal.
Westminster has the fifth highest number of pupils eligible for free school meals in the country.
Karen Buck, MP for Regent’s Park and Kensington North, said: “It’s very important they get this price right because it could hit some really vulnerable people, especially if they have more than one child.” |
 |
|
|
| |
| |
