Michael Tripp, of Ecclesiastical Insurance which insures about 1700 churches, told BBC Breakfast the problem was of "epidemic" proportions.

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He said the problem is not just about children who skip breakfast, "it is about having the right breakfast, too".

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Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of Unite, told BBC Breakfast that besides this dispute there was a "wider problem" to address.

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At the same time, I think that there was a sense, in the conversation I had at breakfast this morning, that issues of credit are still a problem.

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They believed that a lack of money is a major problem for some families - but a bigger problem was the failure or inability of parents to provide a breakfast for their children.

BBC: Parents 'failing to give children breakfast'