A SCOTTISH council is considering a controversial proposal to axe hot school lunches for pupils one day a week.

West Dunbartonshire Council has drawn up the plan to serve only cold food on Fridays as part of wider cost-cutting measures to save £17 million by 2018.

The move, which will save the council about £9m, would see pupils offered a sandwich with salad and fruit instead.

Other cuts being considered include reducing the choice of hot food on other days, replacing milk at lunchtime with water or diluting juice and ending breakfast clubs in primary schools.

The SNP said West Dunbartonshire's proposals were the latest demonstration of "a lack of commitment" by Scottish Labour over the provision of nutritious meals to school pupils in the week free school meal entitlement was extended to all P1-P3 pupils in Scotland, regardless of parental income.

However, the council said it would not be the first local authority to cut the number of days hot food was served and stressed it currently exceeded its statutory requirements on school meals.

Gil Paterson, the SNP MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, said: "West Dunbartonshire is one of the areas that is set to particularly benefit from free school meals, so this move by the council is particularly disappointing.

"As a local MSP for the area, Jackie Baillie must make her position on this clear. Does she support Labour leader Jim Murphy when he says his party backs free school meals or is she on the side of those who want to cut this provision?"

The Scottish Government expects to spend £95m over the next two years helping councils provide free meals for all children in P1, 2 and 3.

The initiative was launched by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at her old primary school in North Ayrshire on Monday.

Although councils have been given extra money by the government to extend free meals, the money has not been ring-fenced so each one can decide just how much to actually spend.