Another SNP election pledge has yet to bear fruit, complain critics

Published on Wednesday 4 November 2009 21:14

AN ELECTION promise to give all primary school children free fruit has yet to be delivered by the Scottish Government, official figures show.

The policy was highlighted during the SNP's push for power in the 2007 Holyrood election.

But a survey of school meals shows only half of all Scottish primary schools have so far extended provision of free fruit beyond P1 and P2 pupils.

Opponents have claimed that it is further evidence that the SNP won the election on "a false prospectus".

However, last night the Scottish Government said it was making progress in providing free fruit to schoolchildren and had extended provision from P1 and P2 students.

The SNP manifesto in 2007 said: "We will ensure that all primary school children receive free fruit and provide free fruit for pregnant women and pre-school children using the model of market-led pregnancy cards from the major supermarkets."

But in a recent answer to Labour's health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson, schools minister Keith Brown said: "The Survey of School Meals 2009 shows the number and percentage of schools in each local authority who have extended their free fruit scheme beyond P1-P2 pupils."

The survey showed that, while all local authority primary schools provide free fresh fruit to P1 and P2 pupils, only 51 per cent had extended the scheme beyond that basic provision.

Labour yesterday claimed the pledge has gone the same way as abolishing the council tax, reducing all P1 to P3 class sizes to 18, providing first-time home buyers with 2,000 and paying off student debt, into the ministerial dustbin.

Shadow health secretary Jackie Baillie said: "The SNP was absolutely clear in its manifesto that all primary school children would receive free fruit.

"(Health secretary] Nicola Sturgeon needs to explain why, despite her promises, she has made no real effort to deliver this policy. This is yet another example of the SNP letting people down by saying one thing in opposition and doing another in government."

However, the Scottish Government said that Labour's question had simply highlighted that it had made progress on providing healthy food.

A spokesman said: "The majority of local authorities have extended their free school fruit scheme beyond P1 and P2 pupils already and we are currently exploring the possibility of securing funding for 2010/11 under the EU school fruit scheme, to further increase provision."