Communities minister Brandon Lewis has said that offering school meals at pubs would provide children with 'really good quality food' and help struggling pubs remain in business.
It would also encourage parents to dine at public houses with their families at weekends, he suggested.
"If they've got children at lunchtime, going to school and having a good meal, the parents are going to view that pub in a positive way," he told The Telegraph.
"It's playing its part in the community and they might go back for Sunday lunch, and that makes the pub more sustainable."
According to The Telegraph a small number of rural primary schools already take children to local pubs for lunch. For instance, pupils at Swell Primary School in Gloucestershire, are taken to dine at the nearby Golden Ball Inn at lunchtime.
From this September all pupils at infant state schools in England will be entitled to a free school lunch.
However, head teachers have raised concerns about the free school meal pledge, as some schools may not have enough kitchen capacity to provide meals for all pupils. Thus, the increase in demand for school meals could lead to more schools looking for alternative dining options, such as pubs.
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