A row has broken out over plans to change school meals contracts, amid concerns it will hit the quality of food served to pupils.

Liberal Democrat and Green councillors have called in the Oxfordshire County Council plan for scrutiny. The Conservative-run authority wants one company to take on a single contract for a wider range of school services like meals and cleaning.

A motion from Labour’s Liz Brighouse, to be debated by councillors tomorrow, says: “It is difficult to understand how a commercial organisation and possibly one where shareholders or financial holding companies require a profit could provide such a service to our schools and to the children of this county.”

But deputy council chairman David Robertson said: “This gives an opportunity to make the service better.

“The council will continue to be in charge of the quality, the pricing and the service provided and in no way we would settle for lesser quality.

“It gives an opportunity for a larger business to bring their services to bear.”

Cleaning currently provided by Quest Cleaning Services and catering currently provided by subsidiary Food with Thought would be part of the new larger contract.