Education Secretary Ruth Kelly announced an extra £280 million today to ''transform'' the quality of school dinners.
The funding package includes a requirement that schools spend at least 50p per pupil per day for all primary schools, and 60p per pupil per day for all secondary schools.
Her announcement comes on the same day that celebrity TV chef Jamie Oliver delivers a petition to Downing Street demanding better food for pupils.
Ms Kelly said: ''It's the biggest sum that I've ever heard being put into school food and I think it will make a real transforming difference to school dinners.
''What we are saying is to local authorities and to schools that you now have the money you need to spend at least 50p on ingredients for primary schoolchildren and 60p for secondary schoolchildren, but recognising that it's not just about the cost of ingredients.
''It's also about training for chefs and catering staff at schools, it's about having the modern facilities and specialist help, it's about having new school kitchens.
A new School Food Trust would provide specialist support and advice to ''transform the quality of school dinners'', she told GMTV.
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