This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Extra helping of cash for school meals
16/02/2007
Councils across Scotland will benefit from £5 million of new funding to promote healthy eating in schools.
The extra money can be used to buy resources - like books or DVDs - to teach pupils about healthy eating, promote healthy school meals, put in place systems for anonymising free school meals or train staff about teaching health issues.
Education Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Our Hungry for Success initiative has already made a huge difference to the food that's served to our pupils. Across the country, pupils are developing an appetite for healthy meals and healthy options - like baked potatoes and vegetable curry - are taking the place of fried, fatty food.
"We know we've got to keep going - that's why I'm giving councils this extra funding. I want them to push ahead with more work to promote healthy eating, to educate pupils about the benefits of healthy eating and to end the stigma of free school meals.
"It's because we want to do more that we've introduced our health promotion and nutrition bill, which is currently before Parliament. This bill builds on the excellent work already going on in schools and will ensure that only healthy food is available there. It also sets legal nutritional requirements for meals and requires councils to promote school meals.
"But we also realise there is a wider education and awareness message that needs to go out. That's why I'm allocating this extra money. If we can change attitudes and habits in pupils then it will stay with them for the rest of their life. Schools like St. Catherine's are already doing a fantastic job and I want to support their efforts."
Background:
The £5 million is a reallocation of existing Executive resources for the financial year 2006-2007. Renfrewshire council will receive £199,899. A full breakdown by Council area is available from the Executive press office.
Hungry for Success has already seen over £120 million invested to make sure school meals meet strict nutritional guidelines, provide fresh, free drinking water to all pupils and provide free fruit to primary one and two three times a week.
The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill was introduced to Parliament on September 11, 2006.