Members of the Welsh assembly will today vote on plans to offer free breakfasts to primary schoolchildren.

The proposal is expected to be approved despite criticism that they have not been properly thought through.

Opposition parties in the assembly argue that implementation of the initiative will come at the expense of other, more important, education policies such as smaller class sizes and the repair of school buildings.

But the Welsh Labour Party has insisted that the policy is affordable. If passed, it will be launched from September 2004.

First minister Rhodri Morgan said the plans had proved popular with pupils.

"It isn't simply a matter of 'I like jam on my toast' or 'I like cereals' or whatever," he said.

"They seemed to understand what good it's doing them and I'm very pleased about that."

However, the Liberal Democrats argued that questions surrounding the policy remain unanswered.

"We don't know for example how much this is going to cost," said the party's assembly leader, Mike German.

"If it's going to be voluntary, who's going to take it up, who's going to provide the staff, how much is it going to cost?

"There could be a lot of expenditure and we don't know which part of the education budget it's going to come from.

"I'm sure people wouldn't want to lose their teachers or their books over this."