CLYDEBANK’S MSP has called on parents to encourage their children to make healthy choices after it was revealed teenagers are increasingly ditching healthy school meals.

At a council education meeting, the rise in high school pupils getting lunches outwith their school was blamed on Scottish Government rules forcing healthy food and drink options on menus and in vending machines.

Prices have also jumped – by 8.9 per cent since April – as part of a council-wide assessment of all fees.

But Gil Paterson MSP pointed his finger at parents and said they must ensure youngsters take healthy options.

He said: “In Scotland, we have some of the highest rates of obesity in the developed world, is that really the future we want for our children? And obesity is strongly linked to inequality with the children from well off families much less likely to be overweight.

“Free, healthy school meals can help to tackle this problem, but parents need to encourage their children to choose healthy options for their own good.”

Councillors were told West Dunbartonshire now has the “highest cost” school meals in Scotland at £2.45 a day.

Officials later clarified that the area was joint eleventh most expensive for secondaries and the second highest for primaries.

Between paid meal income and vending machine income, the council has lost £181,000 from the secondary school budget of more than £26million.

The committee was considering the latest update last week on their budget of £96.5m – including a total overspend of £73,000.

Joe Reilly, business unit finance partner for education, told councillors the main reason for the budget variance in secondary schools was the “collapse in school meals income”.

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He said: “Our school meals income in secondary in particular ... they can vote with their feet a bit more.”

Mr Reilly said there have been four per cent increases in meal prices each year recently and the overall trend was a decline.

But he said: “Last March we increased school meal prices by 9.5 per cent, or something like that, and I have noticed there has been a steep fall [in meal sales] this year, probably related to the extent of our increase from April 2019.”

The council later clarified that the increase was actually 8.9 per cent.

Councillor Caroline McAllister insisted there is “no real data” explaining why sales are down. She said: “I understand there was disparity last year as well. Is it the cost or is it what we are offering?”

Mr Reilly replied: “It’s a mixture of both – cost and what’s on offer.”

Opposition councillors raised concerns about the “inflation-busting” increases driving youngsters away.

Chairwoman Karen Conaghan pointed out more pupils were entitled to free school meals. In March, the council increased the threshold for households that qualify for free school meals – at a cost of £110,000.

Cllr Conaghan added: “Teenagers like to go buy fizzy drinks and chips. And what they have access to in schools is not that, because we’re trying to encourage them to a better and healthier lifestyle.”

After the meeting, a council spokeswoman said: “Our two-course school meals are healthy, prepared freshly each day and meet the Scottish Government’s nutritional requirements for food and drink in schools.

“At £2.45, our meals represent value for money and this price is significantly lower than the cost of providing the service.”