THE county council will catch up with the provision of hot school meals by the start of next term, a senior councillor has said.

Buckinghamshire County Council was given a £1.3million grant by the Government to implement its pledge to provide free lunches to Key Stage One pupils.

On the first day of this autumn term the county council said 48 of the 167 schools eligible for the scheme could only provide a cold packed lunch to pupils.

At the full BCC meeting yesterday cabinet member for education and skills, Mike Appleyard, said: "There was a requirement on schools to provide school meals at the start of this term.

"It didn't actually say whether they should be hot or cold.

"Meals were provided. Some 43 schools did not have a hot meal at the start of team."

He said to a large extent this was because the facilities were taken away some years ago when the provision for hot school meals was previously stopped.

Cllr Appleyard said there was not much of a time frame to put these facilities in place.

He added: "We are expecting by the start of the next term we will have hot meals in every time and progressively during the term that situation will improve."