School dinners are an important part of a child’s life. Indeed, for many youngsters who come from very poor backgrounds, the daily school meal can provide a much-needed hot and nutritious lunch.

It was with this in mind that the Government initiated a scheme to offer free school dinners to all under sevens from the start of the new school year in September. It’s a laudable idea and one which should greatly improve children’s healthy-eating habits.

School dinners today are a world away from the lumpy mash and cold custard of yore, with great care being put into the balancing and nutrition of meals, and a choice of dinners on offer even at primary schools.

However, it appears that the scheme comes at a cost that will have to be borne by the local council. Around 40 primary schools in Bradford need work carrying out on their kitchens to bring them up to the standard required to cope with the extra school meals that must be cooked to cater for all children aged under seven.

The latest estimates are that this bill will come to almost £2 million in Bradford, which at a time when local authorities are still tightening their financial belts to keep up with the Government’s austerity measures in public spending, is a big ask.

Perhaps, as well as announcing that all early-school age children would be able to avail themselves of a hot, nutritious meal for no cost, the Government might well have considered the financial impact on local councils and offered some money to alleviate the extra costs.

It does, perhaps, prove the old adage that there’s no such thing as a free lunch.