NEARLY £1 million is to be invested in Inverclyde to fund free school meals for all primary ones to threes.

From January onwards, around 2,400 pupils are eligible for school meals under new government rules.

So far the Scottish Government has agreed to provide the near £1m funding allocation up until April 2016.

It will be used to recruitment more staff, pay for the increased food bill and the cost of new equipment.

A report to the education and regeneration committee by head of education Wilma Bain reads: “This funding from the Scottish Government will be used to recruit additional staff to support the expected increase in the uptake of school meals, will finance the inevitable rise in food costs, and also will cover the purchase of additional equipment and enhancements to dining facilities in schools.” Inverclyde Council estimate that the increased costs of providing meals will rise by £243,000 per year while £260,000 is lost in income generated by meals that are paid for.

The report states that, in January, an extra 500 local pupils are expected to take up meals in all of the area’s 21 primary schools.

More money is expected to be allocated shortly to cover other costs as a result of the policy.

Free school meals for all primary ones to threes was announced by the Scottish Government last year.

Pilot schemes that have taken place show that there is a 75 per cent take up of free school meals in any given school.

At the moment just over half of all Inverclyde primary pupils take school meals.

The report also suggests that a lack of space to cater for the increase in pupils will only impact on a small number of schools in the area where the dinner hall also doubles as the assembly hall.

Recruitment of new catering staff is now under way in preparation for the start of the scheme at the turn of the year.