The director of Kingston Foodbank has called on the Conservative Government to honour its election manifesto and keep free school meals for children in Kingston.

Surrey Comet:

Paul Pickhaver, director of Kingston Foodbank 

The charity’s call comes ahead of chancellor George Osborne’s comprehensive spending review, due to be announced on November 25.

Paul Pickhaver, director of Kingston Foodbank, said: “Hidden hunger continues to be an issue in Kingston with families telling us that they sometimes need to skip meals so that their children can eat.

“There has been speculation that free school meals might be cut in this month’s spending review, but we would hope the Government would honour the commitment it gave in its manifesto just a few months ago.”

Hot school dinners for children in London aged four to seven, regardless of their parents’ income was introduced in 2014 by then-deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Support for the scheme was also featured in the Tory manifesto this year, but with more budget cuts needed, it is feared the school meals could face the chop. The scheme had helped parents save about £400 per child.

London Assembly member Fiona Twycross proposed a motion protecting free school meals in City Hall this month, which was agreed.

She said: “Everyone knows that children do far better at school when they have had a good healthy meal.

“With the Mayor’s own evidence showing that 74,000 London children sometimes or often go hungry, he should be doing all he can to get an assurance from Government that they won’t withdraw universal free school meals in London.”

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who has a restaurant in Kingston, has spoken out against the possible plans to scrap the meals.

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