Jamie Oliver to meet Minister on dinner cuts

The TV cook has arranged to meet Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to discuss the Government's decision to end the School Lunch Grant, introduced in 2008 after Mr Oliver's campaign for better school meals.

The 240m ring-fenced provision was aimed at raising the quality of low-cost, healthy school meals for pupils from middle-income families. But from March 2011 it will be absorbed into the main schools

budget, leaving head teachers to decide how the money should be spent.

Without a ring-fenced fund, they will have to balance demands for new books, stationery and sports equipment against healthy lunches.

The Department of Health today confirmed that a meeting with Mr Oliver is in Mr Lansley's diary for this week, but a date has not yet been set.