UK News 01-04-2005 Jamie`s Dinner Money who: Education Secretary Ruth Kelly what: Announces £280million boost for healthier school meals after campaign by TV chef Jamie Oliver where: LONDON when: Wednesday snippet: A campaign by TV chef Jamie Oliver to feed Britain`s schoolchildren healthier lunches has resulted in a £280million funding boost for school meals. Education secretary Ruth Kelly announced the budget increase on Wednesday after 271,000 people signed Oliver`s online petition calling for more money to be spent on nutritious food. £220million of the funding will raise the amount spent on food per pupil from a reported 37p average to 50p in primary schools and 60p in secondary schools from September, explains The Times. "Another £60million will go to establish a School Food Trust to advise parents and governing bodies on improving the quality of menus." Oliver took his petition to Downing Street on Wednesday morning and met prime minister Tony Blair, who later claimed the government had "been working on this for quite a long time" but volunteered that he "would pay tribute to Jamie Oliver" for his effort to raise awareness of the problem. However, shadow education secretary Tim Collins pointed out that last year`s five-year education plan did not mention school meals and accused the government of issuing plans that had been "cobbled-together" to score political points in the run-up to the general election. "There`s still plenty of work to do," admits Oliver, quoted in The Mirror. "If this pledge of more money is not matched by action I`ll hound the Government. I`ll make it my job to become a full-time pain in the a***. I hope this is just the beginning of everyone starting to take children`s health seriously." "I`m not happy with the Government`s answers at all," says Jane Clarke, who describes herself as The Times Nutritionist. "We make categorical decisions over child safety, so why not ban junk food, because junk food is bad. We should also ban all high-sugar drinks from schools, too, and, of course, work with school staff, kitchen staff, training and empowering them. It`s not about coming into schools criticising, it`s about showing them different ways of cooking food." [... more]

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