Too hard to swallow

Blackpool South Labour MP Gordon Marsden hit out at Conservative attempts to weaken nutritional controls over school meals.

In a House of Commons speech Mr Marsden said: "I do not want children's school meals to consist of only crisps, a wedge of pizza or the saturated fats of a burger-based diet."

He was condemning Conservative education spokeswoman Angela Browning's attempt to replace nutritional requirements with guidelines in the Schools Standards Bill.

Mrs Browning, he said: "will end up becoming the Marie Antoinette of the opposition benches, when instead of saying 'Let them eat cake,' she will say, 'Let them eat junk'."

Using the example of a Blackpool school where up to 65 per cent of pupils were from low income families eligible for free school meals, he said: "Many of those children come from difficult backgrounds and single parent families, many live in bed and breakfast accommodation.

"It is crucial that those children benefit from a proper nutritional meal in the middle of the day."

Other MPs pointed out some children arrive at school having had no breakfast at all.

When not only children's health, but their educational performance was affected by what they ate, went on Mr Marsden, "It is essential to have nutritional requirements, not guidelines."

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