Nursery World - Minister admits the £26m ‘funding boost’ for breakfast clubs is not new money

The children and families minister has admitted that the £26 million for school breakfast clubs, promised last month, is funding previously pledged by the Government and not new money.

In March, education secretary Damian Hinds announced that more than 1,770 schools were set to benefit from £26 million to boost breakfast clubs in disadvantaged areas. He did not mention that the funding had been announced months ago and that it would be spread over three years.

However, in response to a parliamentary question from the shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, the children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi has been forced to admit that the Government was repeating an old commitment.

Paid for by the Government’s soft drinks levy, the funding will be broken down as follows - £1 million in 2017-18, £12.5 million in 2018-19 and £12.5 million in 2019-2020.

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