Ilkley Conservative MP Kris Hopkins has welcomed the Government’s announce-ment that all pupils at infant schools in England will receive free school lunches from next September.

Mr Hopkins said: “This is excellent news for parents with children aged five, six or seven and it will save them around £400 per child over the course of the school year.

“It is also good news for the children themselves who will now be guaranteed a nutritious meal every day during term time.

“A recent Government-funded study found that packed lunches were, in the main, much less healthy than a cooked meal.

“It also concluded that a hot lunch was likely to raise educational attainment in the classroom.

“This is a bold move from the Government and it is an initiative I warmly welcome.

“Children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are at a crucial stage in life, and this can only bring benefit to them.”