In full: the MPs demanding action to stop children going hungry in school holidays A drive to stop children going hungry in the school holidays by serving them free food has been backed by […]

A drive to stop children going hungry in the school holidays by serving them free food has been backed by more than 110 MPs of all parties.

They are calling for councils to face a legal duty to provide food for up to three million children who would otherwise risk malnutrition and damage to their health and school performance.

Local authorities are also being urged to set up fun projects for pupils to occupy their time with positive activities.

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A Bill backing the move which will be presented to the Commons on Monday to coincide with the start of the new school year in many areas.

Sugar tax cash

A recent report by the parliamentary group on hunger found that poorer children who do not eat properly in the holidays fall an extra month behind their peers in the new term.

It has suggested that £41.5m from the new sugary drinks levy could be ring-fenced to help councils foot the bill.

Frank Field, the former Labour welfare minister who is tabling the Bill, said the measure would mean the summer holiday of 2017 was the last in which many children went hungry.

He said:”If the Prime Minister were to pick up this bill and run with it, at nil extra cost to the Government, she would tackle overnight one of the great injustices afflicting children in this country: a widening of inequalities at school caused by a lack of food during the holidays. Likewise she would immediately be cutting off one of the main supply routes to food banks.”