Daily roundup 29 September: School meals, life chances and looked-after children

David Cameron has dismissed speculation that free school meals for infant school pupils could face cuts. The BBC reports that an official spokesperson said the prime minister is "committed" to free school meals, which were introduced last year under the coalition government.


More than 60 per cent of young people who feel they are the worst off in society think they will struggle to find employment. Research commissioned by Barnardo's found a "stark division" between how young people who identify as the "best off" and those who identify as "worst off" felt about their life chances, including owning their own home and earning enough to support a family.


Stoke-on-Trent Council has predicted it will overspend on its budget for looked-after children by £2m this year. The Stoke Sentinel reports that the overspend is due to a rise in the number of children in care from 562 to 615 over the past year.


A woman from Norwich has been handed a life sentence for her part in an “utterly depraved” sex abuse ring. The Independent reports that 34-year-old Marie Black was convicted of 23 offences, including rape, conspiracy to rape and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The charges relate to five children over the period of a decade.


A public consultation has been launched on whether to ban advertising junk food to children in the press, online and on poster sites and billboards. The Guardian reports the Committee of Advertising Practice is considering tightening rules on how food and drink that are high in sugar, salt and fat are marketed to children.


Child and adolescent mental health services in Wiltshire are to expand under new plans unveiled by the county's clinical commissioning group. The BBC reports that the county’s eating disorder service could also be set to expand.