Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effects of changes to the nursery milk scheme on the supply of milk.

A modernised Nursery Milk Scheme is currently under development and expected to be tendered in due course. The aim of the scheme remains to supply nursery milk to all eligible settings.

The Government’s response to the consultation document Next Steps for Nursery Milk was published on 27 March earlier this year setting out the preferred option for modernising the scheme. The Impact Assessment, also published on 27 March sets out the impact of the preferred option, including any impact on the supply of milk. These documents are attached and also available at the following web links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/making-the-nursery-milk-scheme-more-cost-effective

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2014/110

It is the Department’s intention to ensure that a modernised Nursery Milk Scheme includes opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, and farmers, to be fully involved with the scheme.