Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage the consumption of (a) milk and (b) calcium for (i) children under the age of 8 and (ii) other young people.

Change4Life and Start4Life include information to parents of young and primary school aged children on consumption of milk as part of a healthy balanced diet.

The Government’s dietary advice, as depicted by the Eatwell Guide, encourages the consumption of milk and dairy products or dairy alternatives as part of a healthy balanced diet. The Eatwell Guide principles, including consumption of milk and dairy products, underpin the School Food Standards and Public Health England’s example menus and guidance for early years settings, which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/example-menus-for-early-years-settings-in-england

Children and young people should be able to get all the calcium they need from a healthy balanced diet. Milk and dairy products or dairy alternatives are an important source of calcium. When choosing dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks, we advise selecting calcium-fortified versions.