Only four children who have school meals are registered as vegan.

Education Minister Graham Cregeen was asked in the House of Keys this week how many primary school children were registered as being either vegetarian or vegan.

Mr Cregeen said there were 44 children listed as vegetarian with the school meals services and only four vegan.

Julie Edge (LibVan, Onchan, pictured) said that equated to under 1% of the number of children who had school meals and queried why, in that situation, half of the menu choices every day were either vegan or vegetarian.

But Mr Cregeen defended the meals on offer and pointed out that vegetarian options were not exclusively for children who were vegetarian or vegan.

’You have got margherita pizza down as vegan - but it is a pizza,’ he said.

’Macaroni cheese, these are just part of the diet. You have got jacket potato, Quorn vegan nuggets.

’These are part of a balanced diet, not specifically just to go to people who are vegetarian or vegan.’

Earlier this year, it was revealed the number of children in receipt of free school meals had increased by 29% in 10 years.

In the current school year, there are a total of 1,957 who receive free school meals - 1,196 in primary schools and 761 in secondary schools.

In 2010-11, the total figure was 1,513 (828 primary and 685 secondary).