THE Lib Dem policy of free school meals for all infant pupils is a gift to headline writers such as the one that prefaced Terry Roper’s letter (Mail, April 11) with the words ‘half-baked’. The term ‘sour grapes’ might have been just as appropriate.

I thought Conservatives wanted to help the ‘hard-pressed’ middle. This policy does so by giving families with young children a tax break worth more than £400 a year.

This is in addition to the new £10,000 personal allowance.

Of course, those parents who pay to send their children to private schools won’t benefit, so Terry Roper can be assured that the money isn’t being wasted.

Frankly, I am surprised at those Oxfordshire schools whingeing about the policy.

Maybe Melinda Tilley’s opposition has rubbed off on them and again Oxfordshire is lagging behind other neighbouring counties that have adopted a ‘can do’ attitude on the back of the extra capital funding, plus the £3,000 grant to small schools.

I would urge any headteacher or chairman of governors concerned about how their school can cope to contact the national helpline established by David Laws.

Families will welcome this policy: so should the Conservatives.

John Howson (Cllr)
Lib Dem spokesman on Education
Oxfordshire County Council