Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of age-based eligibility criteria for free school milk on (a) educational and (b) health inequalities.

The Nursery Milk Scheme (NMS) is a statutory scheme which allows early years childcare settings to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk per day to children under the age of five years old who attend a setting for two or more hours per day.

The NHS Business Services Authority, which delivers the NMS on behalf of the Department, does not hold data relating to the number of children who became ineligible for free milk as a result of the age eligibility cut-off of the NMS.

There are no plans to extend eligibility for the NMS to cover children until the end of the academic year, during which they reach their fifth birthday. However, the School Food Standards provide that milk must be available in schools for those who want it at least once a day during school hours. Separate legislation allows pupils who are eligible for free school meals to continue to receive free milk at school after the age of five years old. Free school meal eligibility will be expanded from September 2026 to more disadvantaged children, leading to higher attainment, improved behaviour, and better outcomes. As eligibility widens, more children will be able to access free milk.