The Chartwells food packages are a national disgrace. Anyone with a brain, or a heart, can see that.

But the policy is also wrong: parents should be given food vouchers from supermarkets, not pre-determined packages from faceless companies.

Here are six reasons why.

First of all, there is a dignity and pride issue. We should not be handing out scraps of food to fit a pre-set budget. This is how we end up with cut up vegetable pieces and tuna stuffed into little bags.

Second, there is a choice issue. Parents should be trusted to make the best choices for their children, according to their tastes and needs. Not all children like bananas. Some want certain flavours of yoghurt. Parents know this and can spend the money in their kids' interests.

Third, there is a hygiene issue. Giving parents a loaf of bread or slices of cheese for two weeks inevitably means that food is kept past its sell-by date. It's far better to allow parents to balance their budgets over the period so they can buy fresh food more frequently.

Fourth, there is an economic efficiency reason. Cutting out the private company means all of the £30 can be spent on food without stripping out labour, packaging and profit.

Fifth, travel costs for parents. Parents are having to travel to depots to collect the food packages, whereas a voucher would allow them to shop more locally (hopefully walking) and saving £2/£3 a time on petrol.

Overall, giving parents food vouchers are more dignified, more efficient and allow children to have fresher, better quality, more plentiful food. Supermarkets are excellent at competing on price. This is the way forwards.