Kate Forbes has said the Scottish Government will not reverse the delay to expanding free school meals despite a likely Holyrood defeat this afternoon.
The Deputy First Minister told journalists the government would have to stick by the policy decision due to significant financial pressures.
John Swinney's Programme for Government last week rolled back on the commitment to expand free school meals to all primary pupils.
It was first pledged in the SNP-run government's 2021 Holyrood election manifesto.
Primary pupils from P1 to P5 are eligible for the free lunch but instead of universal provision, those in P6 and P7 will only have access if their families are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.
At the time, the First Minister said the Scottish Government was still committed to universal provision, but could not afford it by the 2026 pledge.
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Speaking to journalists in Midlothian, the Deputy First Minister said that position will remain.
It comes as ministers face defeat from a non-binding vote in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon.
The Scottish Tories will use their opposition debating time to force a vote to call for expansion to include all primary children "as promised".
But Ms Forbes was asked whether defeat would see ministers change their minds.
She said: "We have been very clear about our financial constraints right across the Scottish Government’s policy agenda.
“All parts of Government are working at trying to reduce costs in order to stay within the budget that has been handed down to us by the UK Government, but also to meet the additional pay pressures.
“And that is what we will do.”
The Scottish Government does not have a majority in Holyrood, and is likely to be defeated, with former government partners the Scottish Greens likely back the Tory motion.
Ms Forbes continued: “None of us want to be in the position of reducing our costs. None of us want to do that.
“We’ve been very clear in our policy prospective, we’re still committed to rolling out free school meals.
“But at the moment the budget does not allow us to deliver universality.”
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