Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how many additional children it estimates would be eligible for universal free school meal entitlement if this was extended to all primary school children.
The most recent phase of free school meal expansion to pupils in receipt of Scottish Child Payment in Primary 6 and 7 began from February 2025. This means 84% of pupils in primary schools in Scotland are now eligible to receive a free meal.
It is estimated that an additional 67,910 pupils would be eligible for free school meals if universal provision was extended to primary 6 and 7 pupils.