£5m drive to promote healthy eating

COUNCILS are to get £5 million to encourage schoolchildren to eat more healthily, the education minister announced yesterday.

Hugh Henry said he wanted local authorities to do more to teach young people the benefits of eating well.

The money could be used to train staff, utilising books and DVDs, or to help schools put in systems to conceal the identities of pupils who receive free meals.

Mr Henry announced the funding during a visit to St Catherine's Primary in Paisley. He said that the initiative would build on moves such as proposals to ban junk food from schools and the Hungry For Success scheme, which has seen more than 120 million invested in ensuring schools meet nutritional guidelines.