This time last year the government invested in holiday food schemes for disadvantaged pupils. They were a great success, bringing nutritional and educational benefits to children. They should continue.
But the National Food Strategy has shown that these schemes, like free school meals in termtime and the Healthy Start scheme for pre-school children, reach only a fraction of those who need them. Those who miss out get by on meagre packed lunches, skip lunch entirely or fill up on cheap, calorific, low-nutrient food.
Poor diets have made us an unhealthy nation; and poor diets in childhood stunt potential and generate health problems and costs, cutting into the return on precious government spending on health and education.
Better jobs are the route out of poverty, and