A senior Westcountry Liberal Democrat MP has defended the decision to provide free meals to all children at infant school, rather than targeting it at those from poor backgrounds.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg this week revealed the £600 million school meals scheme that will save parents about £437 a year for each child.
While charities and trade unions broadly welcomed the plan, others argued it amounted to a subsidy for affluent families' children.
But Education Minister David Laws, MP for Yeovil, said sitting down together enriched the school experience and the plan would help end stigma about free school meals.
He said: "Even for people who are in employment, the cost of meals – £440 a year – is a massive burden. It makes sense not just for lower-income families, but also for middle-income families."]