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<p>The Government is providing £150 million capital funding in 2014-15 to support
the introduction of universal infant free school meals, in addition to over £1 billion
additional revenue funding over the two years 2014 to 2016. Local authorities are
also free to use some of the capital they receive for general maintenance and improvement
purposes to upgrade kitchen and dining facilities in schools, if that is a priority
locally.</p><p> </p><p>The pilots of universal free school meal provision which ran
in Newham and Durham between 2009 and 2011 showed, however, that building new facilities
is not the only way to increase school meal uptake.</p><p> </p><p>To help schools
to find solutions which meet their local circumstances, on 6 March we launched a national
support service which consists of a telephone and online advice service for schools,
local authorities and caterers, and a direct-support service for schools which need
additional support. The service is being provided by school food experts, the Children's
Food Trust and the Lead Association for Catering in Education, in conjunction with
a number of delivery partners. More information is available at: <a href="http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/Root/schools/schoolfoodplan"
target="_blank">http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/Root/schools/schoolfoodplan</a></p>
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