Speaking today at the LACA Main Event in Birmingham, David Laws revealed that, according to recent information from schools and councils, over 99% of schools are on track to deliver nutritious and free school meals to infants this September.

Free school meals are expected to benefit an extra 1.5 million children. This policy is the latest milestone in the long history of school meals, it is the biggest expansion of free school meals in over 65 years.

David Laws is encouraging schools that don’t currently have an effective plan in place – less than 100 out of the 16,000 state schools across the country – to draw on the wealth of support offered by the government to get the help they need without delay to ensure their children too can benefit come September.

“They can give you practical help, and show you how other schools have risen to the challenge. We will do everything in our power to help you deliver for your children.”

In his speech, David Laws said that the policy will save ordinary parents money and improve children’s health, achievement and well-being:

“Left to their own devices, those who want to undermine this policy would take us back in time, unwinding over a hundred years of progress on school food. I will not allow that to happen.

“And that is why it is so important that we work together to make this policy a stunning success in September. If we get this right, no one will be able to take it away – because, quite simply, it will be so popular with parents that no politician would dare. That is the prize we are all working for.”

Click here to find out more about free school meals.