Almost half of city council-controlled infant and primary schools are not yet ready to provide free meals to pupils – as the Government’s national scheme is revealed to be at risk of failure.

Details revealed in a Freedom of Information request show that 74 maintained schools across Birmingham need investment to improve or expand kitchens and dining areas, while 101 schools said they had adequate facilities or did not respond to the request.

From September, every child in reception, year one and year two in state-funded schools will receive a free hot lunch, in a government scheme which aims to improve academic achievement and save families money.

The average family is said to spend £437 per child on lunches each year.

It emerged this week that the scheme has been given a “red” rating in an official Whitehall risk assessment, indicating that there was a danger of the policy failing.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg defended the policy but failed to deny that it had been rated red, insisting that the plan will be a “crowning achievement” despite the reports of serious official concerns.

He said: “It is quite normal in Whitehall for people to constantly review the state of readiness of a policy. But let’s be really clear, it is mid-May, this is going to happen in September.

“It will happen in September, it is fully funded, we have even gone further than that, we have legislated for it to make sure it is really there to stay.”

Across the West Midlands councils are at different stages of planning to provide hot meals to youngsters.

Birmingham City Council is set to receive £2,267,245 from central government to fund this work – and says that the improvements will be carried out within budget.

A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said: “We have a plan to ensure the 74 remaining primary schools have any required works complete in time for the new school year in September, to ensure they can provide a nutritious meal to children.

“This work could be as simple as extra tables and chairs or a cooker or hob.”

In response to the FOI request, Wolverhampton City Council said it was confident that “all schools will be able to meet demand with support in some circumstances from other school sites and a reorganised lunch time table if necessary”.

Sandwell Council said it was planning to conduct an audit to find out which schools needed support.

Their response read: “The authority is unable to quantify the estimated cost of ensuring infant/primary school kitchens at maintained schools will be adequately prepared to meet the requirement to provide all Foundation and Key Stage 1 pupils with free school meals this autumn. An audit has been commissioned for all qualifying schools to determine how the authority can allocate the capital funding it has received.”

A Department for Education spokeswoman would not comment on the leaked risk assessment but said: “The overwhelming majority of schools are already on track to deliver this policy in September and we are confident the policy will be delivered on time and on budget.

“Universal free school meals have already been shown to work in the pilot schemes run by the Department for Education and Department of Health in 2009. Indeed, schools have had longer to prepare for the introduction of universal free school meals this September than schools in those pilot areas had in 2009.

“Schools are receiving a huge amount of support to provide free school meals. We are providing £150 million to improve kitchens and dining facilities, as well as an additional £22.5 million specifically to help smaller schools to provide these meals.”

The 74 Birmingham schools not yet ready to provide free schools meals:

Alston Primary School

Anderton Park Primary School

Audley Primary School

Birches Green Infant School

Boldmere Infant School and Nursery

Bordesley Green Primary School

Bordesley Village Primary School

Bournville Infant School

Broadmeadow Infant & Nursery School

Brookfields Primary School

Calshot Primary School

Canterbury Cross Primary School

Chad Vale Primary School

Chandos Primary School

Cherry Orchard Primary School

Clifton Primary School

Cofton Primary

Colmers Farm Infant School

Colmore Infant and Nursery School

Cotteridge Junior and Infant School

Cottesbrooke Infant School

Firs Primary School

Gilbertstone Primary School

Gossey Lane Junior, Infant and Nursery School

Green Meadow Primary School

Greet Primary School

Gunter Primary School

Hall Green Infant School

Harborne Primary School

Hillstone Primary School

Hodge Hill Primary School

Holland House Infant School and Nursery

Hollyfield Primary School

Hollywood Primary School

Jervoise School

Kings Heath Primary School

Kings Norton Primary School

Kingsthorne School

Marlborough Infants School

Marsh Hill Primary School

Minworth Junior and Infant

Moor Hall Primary School

Nelson Primary School

New Hall Primary and Children’s Centre

New Oscott Primary School

Paganel Primary School

Paget Primary School

Park Hill Primary School

Perry Beeches Infant School

Princethorpe Infant School

Rednal Hill Infant School

Regents Park Community Primary School

Severne Primary School

Sladefield Infants School

Somerville Primary School

Stanville Primary School

Stechford Primary School

Stirchley Community School

Sundridge Primary School

The Meadows Primary School

The Oval Primary School

Thornton Primary School

Walmley Infant School

Ward End Primary School

Welford Primary School

West Heath Primary School

Whitehouse Common Primary School

Wilkes Green Infant School

Woodcock Hill Primary School

Woodthorpe Junior and Infant School

Wychall Primary School

Wyndcliffe Primary School

Yardley Primary School

Yenton Primary School