Some schools in Cumbria will stop serving school meals

Cumbria County Council says it must save £2.2m from its school meals budget.

The move could see some junior and infant schools stop serving school meals altogether.

Union officials say women, who are already on low wages, will be worst affected.

The proposed changes mean primary schools would be able to choose whether to buy in school meals from a county council-owned supplier, provide their own, use an outside contractor or halt meals delivery.

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said that schools serving fewer than 50 meals a day would have to "look carefully" at whether they continue with school meals.

Packed lunch subsidy

But a spokesman for the General, Municipal and Boilermakers' Union (GMB) said: "The council is making savings at the expense of low-paid, part-time women workers.

"At the same time, councillors have had huge increases in allowances and senior managers are getting large increases in pay."

Where meals are stopped, parents of children who are entitled to free meals are likely to be given a subsidy to provide packed lunches.

The council spokesman added: "We want to get the cost of school meals down and unfortunately most of the cost is in the way the service is staffed."

He said only 50% of pupils were taking advantage of school-produced meals.