Give all primary school pupils free school meals, Corbyn says
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is proposing that free school meals be available to all primary school pupils in England.
In order to cover the costs, Corbyn has suggested that a VAT is placed on private school fees.
However, the Independent Schools Council has said that “the sums for this proposed policy do not add up and would be counter-productive”.
Labour says that House of Commons Library figures suggest that this move would cost £700 million to £900 million.
Corbyn says that the price should be paid by parents who send their children to private school - and Labour quotes an estimate from the Fabian Society that VAT on private school fees could raise about £1.5 billion per year.
The first three years of state-run primary school already receive free meals, but Corbyn’s proposal would extend it to all years.
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