Every primary school child across Bradford will be able to have free school meals as part of a pilot to tackle obesity and raise education standards.

Schools secretary Ed Balls announced that Bradford, along with four other chosen areas, will run the scheme from September.

The scheme will investigate whether free school meals reduce obesity. It will also look at eating habits at home and whether free meals impact on behaviour, academic performance and general health and well-being.

The pilot will run until July 2011 and is being paid for by £8.34 million from the Government and Bradford Council.

Mr Balls said: “I am delighted that thousands more children will now be able to enjoy the many benefits of a free healthy school lunch. I hope children and families in Bradford quickly see the benefits that a free school lunch can bring.

“We know good health is vital if children and young people are to enjoy their childhood and achieve their full potential.

“We want to support all families, children and young people to make healthy choices and lead as healthy a life as possible and these pilots will provide us with important information on the impact of having a free, healthy, hot meal each day.

“I hope that enjoying nutritious meals from a young age will also establish healthy eating habits for life.”

Obesity alone causes 9,000 people to die prematurely every year. It costs the NHS £4.2 billion and the economy £16 billion per year. It is hoped the scheme will also encourage healthy eating at home.

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney said: “I am absolutely delighted. The school meals service is already excellent but ensuring all pupils in school get a balanced meal at lunchtime will be great for the district’s health.”

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh said: “I’m pleased every child will get a meal as we know sadly some children go to school without a meal inside them. In the current climate when people are struggling this will help save families money.

“This clearly is good news for every young child in Bradford.”

Adrian Naylor, the Bradford Council executive member with responsibility for school meals, said: “We want to see how this can benefit Bradford and take up of free school meals which are already high at 54 per cent, and see how it improves ability and driving up standards in education.

“I am keen to take the pressure off hard-pressed families having to find money or provide a lunch, as well as raising attainment in our young people.”

The Council hopes the scheme will bring far-reaching benefits to the district’s economy by reducing household spending by more than £275 per child, increase support for local suppliers, create 220 part-time posts and reduce the pressure on other Council services.

Roger Sheard, the Council’s operations manager for catering and support services, said: “It will require the co-operation of all schools and that of the catering staff who will be working even harder in providing meals that we can be rightly proud of.”

Facilities Management, the in-house catering provider, will consult to ensure the provision of up to 20,000 more lunches each day.