Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the effect of recent changes to the nursery milk scheme on the ability of schools to fulfil the requirements of the School Food Standards in relation to milk.

A modernised Nursery Milk Scheme is currently under development and expected to be tendered in due course.

The assessment of any effects of the changes to the Nursery Milk Scheme are part of ongoing discussions between officials via a cross Government Nursery Milk Scheme Task and Finish Group.

The changes have no impact on either the current School Food Standards Regulations or the new School Food Standards Regulations which come into force on 1 January 2015.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is available to all children under five who attend an eligible childcare setting for two hours per day or more. Eligible settings include child-minders, day care providers, private and local authority run nurseries. The School Food Standards apply to schools rather than nursery and private childcare and child minder settings.