BURNLEY MP Gordon Birtwistle is to meet an education minister to ensure a local school gets the kitchen it needs to cook free school meals for its pupils.

The Liberal Democrat raised the problem with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at Westminster.

At Question Time in the Commons Mr Birtwistle said: “Last week, I visited Wellfield school in my constituency, an excellent junior school that fully supports the government’s plans for free school meals.

“Its problem is that it does not have a facility within the school to provide those meals. It has spoken to the county council and the diocese, but it is getting nowhere.

“Will you or Education Secretary Michael Gove meet me to try to resolve the problem before the plans are introduced in September?”

Mr Clegg said: “I will certainly ask a minister in the Department for Education to meet you.

“We have set aside £1billion to deliver that next September so that all young children in the first three years of primary school get a healthy meal.