“I read with astonishment and disbelief the Councils' intention to increase the price of school meals three times in one year, resulting in a cost per child, per day of £2.00. It does not take a genius to work out that this is an immense amount of money for parents with just one child in school, let alone those with two or more and in my view is totally unacceptable. So much for the commitment to encouraging our youngest children to eat healthily! I currently pay for my two primary school children to have school dinners as I feel it is important for them to have a hot, healthy meal at school each day, however I really do not feel I can manage or justify the cost of paying out a combined total of £20 per week.

I am exceedingly annoyed that I feel I am essentially being forced to provide my children with sandwiches every day as I simply cannot afford the price of the school meals. My daughter is now in Year 3 and when she began school, the cost of dinners was £6.75 per week - the increase on this is unacceptable and indefencible. It is no wonder that the numbers of children on school dinners is decreasing. This Council seriously needs to get its act together - there may be a deficit in the school meals budget, but it is not right or just to expect parents to stump up three times in one year to feed their children a decent meal.”

“Somebody's got to pay for the swing bridge to nowhere ;-))”

“We looked at having kids some 35 years ago, we decided if we could not look after them financially, we would not have them, so we didn't have any, lets look back at why the government introduced family allowance in the first place, and that was to increase the population after the war, we are now 60 odd years on and still it is expected and infact included into the would be parents budgets before having them, (some don't bother) is it not time that this bottomless pit is stopped, My parents only had benefit for the first child. maybe if we did not encourage unwanted pregnancies etc , we might be a better country. Too many one parent families today, with the pill and advanced birth control today, people need to think twice on having kids, Ask
1) can we afford this life.
2) Can we as a country afford this life,
if the answer is yes to the first question, by all means go ahead,
if the question is yes for the second question, stop, because the country is already on it's knees and needs no further help from you.”

“Lindsey - Packed lunches for a week would cost less that £10.00, I manage to do packed lunches for my hubby, myself and the children (they take one to playgroup twice a week) for less that £20.00 a week.”

“I also agree with John on this, I'm a mum of two and I certainly will not be letting mine have school dinners, I'd rather send them with a packed lunch and feed them a decent hot meal at home, that way I know what they're eating. I think the money would be better spent on other things.”

“My daughter loves staying school dinners, but another rise means this is going to be £10.00 a week, but what is annoying is that if you are on benefits they get them free but if you are a working family you have to pay full price, everyone should at least be paying and then cost would not be so much”

“These people commenting on "proper families" ought to consider where this country would be if children weren't born. eg;when they go to the doctor, wasn't that doctor someone's child at some point?
If their country needed defending, it would be our children putting their lives on the line!
Taxpayers' money is very topical at this time and there are many places I agree it shouldn't be going (Bankers' bonuses etc). Investing in the upbringing and education of our next generations it SHOULD.
As a working tax-paying family, we chose not to let ours have school meals, due mainly to the cost. We supply them with a packed lunch which is just as nutritious and probably a lot less expensive.”

“Im with John on this one....I am a single parent who woaks full time to clothe, feed, and care for my children. It is very hard at times but it was my choise to have children and i don't think others should have to pay for there upkeep.”

“John of Mickleover you are absolutely right and its what I was saying in my comment below. The government hands out subsidy after subsidy to kids and the parents still moan.”

“Why do parents think they have the right to have their children's meals subsidised by already hard pressed taxpayer?
Working families tax credits, family allowance, subsidised 'buses to ferry them to school, and cheap meals when they get there etc etc. The list is endless.
You had them, you feed them. Why should the rest of society go without to subsidise your children. You chose to have them, so take responsibility for them, pay for them.
How many pensioners and others living on fixed incomes can get a meal for £2 ?
Parents - you chose to9 have children, don't expect everyone else to pay for them. The scholl meals service should be self funding, not another heavily subsidised hand out to parents who seem to think the rest of us should subsidise their children at every turn.”