A pledge by Jack McConnell to extend free school meals was welcomed by opposition politicians yesterday - but they accused him of stealing their policies.

The First Minister has promised that if Labour wins power again in May, the number of children entitled to free meals will increase by nearly 100,000.

Currently only children in very low income families and those whose parents are out of work are entitled to free school meals - about 122,000 in total. Under the proposals, free school meals would be extended to a further 97,000 children whose parents receive working tax credit.

Nicola Sturgeon, SNP Holyrood leader, said Labour's move, announced at the launch of a book outlining the measure of poverty in modern Scotland, amounted to an endorsement of SNP policy to extend eligibility for meals.

She said: "We are delighted that Labour is supporting our proposal and we look forward to consensus on this issue in the next parliament. An SNP government will look to do even more. School meals must be about healthy eating and tackling poverty.

"We have already announced extending the free school meals scheme to cover all children living in poverty, and will do more by piloting free healthy school meals for P1 to P3 pupils."

SSP leader Colin Fox said the move was in response to pressure by campaigners. He added: "On free school meals, the SSP has delivered more real concessions for the low paid than all the establishment parties with their think tanks and highly paid consultants."

Tommy Sheridan, the Solidarity MSP, called Mr McConnell's plan to extend free school meals "too little and too late". He added that the publication of the book by the Child Poverty Action Group, which estimates that 910,000 Scots are living in poverty, was a "damning indictment" of Labour's record in power.

In a question session at the conference yesterday, Mr McConnell showed no sign of wanting to go further by making school meals free for all.

He said: "For the immediate future, I believe we have to decide priorities, and beyond that I would invest more in the quality and the environment of school meals than in universal provision."

Mr McConnell, who also vowed to set up an anti-poverty unit within the Scottish Executive, insisted the war on poverty was being helped by devolution. Poverty among all Scots was down from one in four to one in five, he said.

He also pointed to action on other fronts, like a stable economy and improvements in health and education.

He said: "We have made progress, we made commitments and set targets, and we have met them at this first stage. But we have always said we would go further and I remain fully committed to our long term aims."

Editors of Poverty in Scotland 2007, the book published yesterday, agreed that progress had been made, but said more needed to be done. John Dickie, head of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said: "Poverty in Scotland 2007 shows why politicians from all parties must commit themselves to the action needed to eradicate poverty."

He added that the May elections would give them the opportunity to do so.

Peter Kelly, director of Poverty Alliance, added that progress could be made if resources and political commitment were there.