Schoolchilren across Hastings and St Leonards could soon benefit from free school meals.
Hastings MP Michael Foster is urging both East Sussex County Council and Hastings Borough Council to try and access cash from a pot of £125million the Government has recently made available for tackling child poverty.
If successful, this could le
ad to more free school meals for local pupils.
Mr Foster said: "We do have a particular problem in the Hastings area with the number of children still living in families with very low incomes. It clearly has an effect on their educational opportunities as well as their health.
"While measures already adopted through Child Tax Credits and the like have made a difference we need to do more.
"I'm enthusiastic about the Government's proposal to look at innovative ways of tackling the problem and I'm keen that our local councils should bid for some of the money available.
"The priority should be the provision of free school meals. This would offer a universal benefit which would be helpful to families, but also because of its universality ensure that all children are well nourished during the school day.
"I hope very much that the councils will pick up on this proposal."
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