THE INTRODUCTION OF FREE SCHOOL MEALS BY NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL

That this House pays tribute to North Lanarkshire Council and its Labour Party leadership for its decision to provide free school meals to children in need 365 days a year; recognises and welcomes that this decision will be the first of its kind across the four nations that make up the UK; gravely acknowledges the fact that almost three quarters of teachers note that malnourishment negatively affects a child's ability to learn; understands that the Government's welfare and social security policies have exacerbated the difficulties faced by low-income families on a daily basis; calls upon other local authorities across the UK to follow the example set by North Lanarkshire Council and ask the Government to consider the introduction of such a scheme across each local authority in all four of our country's nations; and rededicates itself to ensuring that no children in Scotland or across the UK are forced to attend school malnourished and miss out on the chance to achieve their full potential.