London Assembly approves Sadiq Khan's free school meals budget

Sadiq Khan's 2023/24 budget has been approved, raising council tax by almost 10% and funding free school meals for primary school children for a year.

The financial plans were presented to the London Assembly for a final vote on Thursday.

Mr Khan said his budget would create a "fairer, safer and more prosperous [London] for all".

But questions were raised over school meal funding, scrappage scheme expansion and bus provision.

Setting out his financial plans for the year, Mr Khan allocated £130m towards feeding primary school children.

He said he "could not be more proud of the policy" which would benefit 270,000 pupils.

Mr Khan added the plan would support children during the next academic year, saving families around £440 per child, and he was also looking into providing help during the school holidays.

During the budget meeting, City Hall Conservatives said they were not opposed to the proposal, but took issue with whether it had been "prudently" planned for.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also failed to endorse Mr Khan's free school meal plan as national policy, saying only that "we will look at that".

"Nothing will be put forward at the next election unless it's fully funded," he told BBC Radio 4.

The meeting also discussed ULEZ expansion plans, with City Hall Conservatives opposing the plan.

"Delay is akin to denial," Mr Khan said. "I'm confident that we'll be expanding ULEZ at the end of August."

Nick Rogers AM, from the Conservatives, cited opposition to the plan, and asked how many small business would close in London as a result of the scheme.

"Given the huge cross-party concern around your expansion plans, given the requests to delay this scheme from your own MPs, will you finally listen to Londoners and cancel these damaging plans?" he said.

Mr Khan replied that it was a public health issue, stating: "I'm quite clear it's the right thing to do to improve the quality of air in London."

The Liberal Democrats called on the mayor to spend more of Transport for London's £500m reserves to improve the scrappage scheme.

The group also proposed an amendment to increase investment in buses in outer London, which has fallen.

It was supported by the Conservatives and the Greens, with all opposition parties agreeing it would help Londoners following the ULEZ expansion.

City Hall Conservatives also said they would freeze council tax instead of committing to Mr Khan's £38.55 increase for the average family, a 9.7% rise.

They also accused the mayor of putting money into primary school meals on one hand but hitting people with council tax rises and ULEZ costs on the other.

But Mr Khan defended the decision to raise council tax amid high inflation rates.

Other amendments put forward by opposition parties all fell before the budget vote.

They included stopping the ULEZ expansion this year, investing in more accessible toilets on the transport network, increasing funding for the scrappage scheme and other community improvement schemes.

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