Lucy Powell MP, shadow Education Secretary, commenting on reports the government is going to drop free school meals for infants, said:  

“Schools have, at their own cost, installed new kitchens to deliver this scheme. Yet before it can be properly evaluated for its impact on pupils performance at school, they are shutting the door. The Tories never liked this scheme - we all know that - but schools have gone to a huge amount of trouble and effort to deliver it. This will be a slap in the face for them and for the hard-pressed families it supports.

"This decision also underlines how little the government is protecting the education budget which is vital for the future success of our children and our country.

"This comes at a time the government is cutting tax credits for working families. This decision will see over three million families lose an average of £1,000 a year and directly increase levels of poverty in Britain.

"There is a very real risk that scrapping free school meals combined with tax credit cuts could see millions of children going hungry as a result of this decision.”