THE government has admitted that its plan for breakfast clubs to provide meals costing 1p per child will not be funded by new money.

The admission was made in an answer to a written parliamentary question tabled by shadow education secretary Angela Rayner yesterday after Education Secretary Damian Hinds unveiled the policy on March 19.

Mr Hinds trumpeted the £26 million “funding boost” for breakfast clubs, but he neglected to mention that the funding had already been announced last October.

Ministers admitted at the time that the money was to be spread over three years, with £1 million available in the current financial year and the remaining £12.5 million in each of the following two years.

Furthermore, these sums mean that only 1p will be spent on breakfast each day for each of the 4.7 million primary school children in England.

Labour attacked the latest “in a series of embarrassments” for the Tories on the issue of universal free school lunches for infant pupils. The government ditched plans to scrap these lunches following pressure from Labour.

The Tories had vowed in their general election campaign to get rid of free lunches to provide breakfast clubs with funding equivalent to 7p per child.

Ms Rayner said: “Once again, the Education Secretary has been caught trying to fiddle the figures rather than face the facts.

“The so-called new money for breakfasts isn’t new, is spread over years and isn’t remotely enough to make up for the children being denied free school meals under the Tories’ universal credit.”

GMB general secretary Tim Roache, whose union represents school catering staff, said: “Playing politics with meals for hungry kids is beyond the pale.

“No-one is going to be fooled by smoke and mirrors when struggling families know the reality.

“It’s time for ministers to stop messing about and put sorely needed money into the facilities and staff we need to provide healthy meals.”

Just weeks ago, Mr Hinds was forced to retract claims that the government was increasing school funding and that no schools faced cash cuts following a rebuke from the UK Statistics Authority watchdog.

Ms Rayner, who launched a  consultation on Labour’s proposal for a cradle-to-grave national education service yesterday, continued: “The Tories have cut billions from school budgets. Labour will end the Tory cuts, invest in our schools and guarantee a free meal to all primary school children.”