Any wonder councils are overdrawn?

[AndyHB]

From today's Western Mail.

Has your council done the same or something comparable with your finances?

Whoops!!

[AndyHB]

Picked this one up from BBC Breakfast this morning - Southwark Council will, as of this September, start to roll out a programme that will guarantee a free school meal for every single primary-aged child in the borough.

AS the BBC Breakfast Facebook page asks, is this a sensible use of public money?

[AndrewF]

It is well documented that a good diet increases a child's ability to learn. It is also well documented that many people who are entitled to benefits do not, for one reason or another, claim them.It could also be (and I don't know the finances of this) that , if they are going to provide free meals for some and paid meals for others (if the parents want them) it is actually more economical to know that you are providing meals for all the children, than to have to A) guess how many will actually turn up for food that day and B) do the admin to make sure that those who should be paying are, and that those who you know are entitled not to par don't...