Schools minister Jim Knight said that the gap in achievement between 11-year-olds on free school meals and those who were not had narrowed by three percentage points in the last four years.

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Tests in those boroughs found meat in school meals did not contain either horsemeat or pork cross-contamination with halal food, said a spokeswoman.

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Mr Laws told delegates it was "quite literally intolerable" that in some schools and certain areas of the country almost eight in 10 children on free school meals - a key measure of poverty - failed to get five good GCSEs, including maths and English.

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The SSP had grown to be the fifth biggest party in Scotland and fought for free school meals and an end to prescription charges - both of which would later be brought in by the SNP government.

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From April-December 2008, the average drop in school meals was 1, 000 per day.

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Results of national tests known as Sats taken by 10 and 11-year-olds in England show that children on free school meals do less well than their classmates, and the pattern continues to GCSE level.

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This year's annual census of schools in England showed an increase of more than 21, 000 in the number of pupils eligible for free school meals - an increase attributed to rising unemployment.

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Beef has been removed from school menus and meals-on-wheels dishes in Sandwell after a supplier said products could include traces of horsemeat.

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The bill is also designed to make it easier for councils to intervene in schools when there is concern about standards and allows schools to vary the price of school meals to help low-income families.

BBC: Classroom