Questions remain over plan to supply schools with frozen meals

FURTHER questions on Perth and Kinross Council’s controversial plans to supply schools with frozen meals from a Dundee kitchen have gone unanswered.

The proposal, set to save a six-figure fee as the local authority looks to make about £28 million of savings.

The plans would involve meals being cooked i n Tayside Contracts’ Tay Cuisine kitchen in Dundee before being blast-frozen, then distributed and reheated in schools.

The shake-up will result in 50 catering jobs being axed, with 41 of those members of staff to be provided with training and positions in early learning and childcare by the council, but not all questions were answered.

The review of catering services was again questioned at a meeting of the strategic policy and resources committee.

The plan, part of a preapproved savings target of £200,000 from catering services, was slammed by Councillor Dave Doogan. The opposition leader said: “SNP councillors identified that the costs of this change are entirely undefined, yet the savings are very exact and that, therefore, the projected savings were totally unbelievable.”

He and Strathtay councillor Grant Laing queried whether Tayside Contracts would need a new fleet of vans for delivering frozen food, and questioned drivers’ salaries.

Council officers were unable to put a number on the costs.

An officer said: “The transport arrangements across Perth and Kinross have still to be worked out in detail but potentially, there could be a reduction.

“At this point, we don’t know what the vehicles will be.”

Councillor Angus Forbes said: “The large lorries driving to the far reaches of Perth and Kinross delivering ingredients to the schools will no longer have to do that.”