AS petrol prices and electricity bills continue to soar, from September parents will have to fork out more for primary school dinners.

Officials from North Yorkshire County Council have blamed the above-inflation increases on the cost of food and a national pay settlement for all catering staff.

Members recently have agreed the new price of £2 per day for primary school meals compared to the current fee of £1.80.

Coun John Watson, executive member for North Yorkshire’s children and young people’s service, said they are only too aware of the pressures on family budgets due to the rocketing prices of basic commodities.

He said: “I regret the need to increase prices more, but with food costs rising much higher than the rate of general inflation and with the continuing impact of national job evaluation there is no alternative.

“Parents will agree it is essential that we maintain these high standards. Indeed we have increased the budget for food costs for each meal by 50 per cent since the introduction of the healthy meals initiative.

“Despite this regrettable increase in the price of our school meals, they are still very good value for money – where else could you purchase a nutritionally balanced two-course meal for £2?”

They have not increased charges for more than one child from the family having a meal at the same school.

According to the local authority, food and labour expenses represent more than 80 per cent of catering costs.

Even with this increase there will be an estimated deficit for the Primary Catering Service in the region of £480,000, which has to be met from hard pressed school budgets.

About two thirds of all meat and poultry used in North Yorkshire County Caterers’ menus is sourced from within North Yorkshire and more than 90 per cent of it comes from the wider region.