Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of (a) levels of support among parents for and (b) the potential health benefits to young children of extending the school nursery milk scheme to include all children in reception classes regardless of age.

We know milk is excellent for children’s growth and development. As part of the School Food Standards, where they apply, lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk must be available to children who want it for drinking at least once a day during school hours. It is a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to pupils who meet the free school milk criteria, and schools may charge all other pupils.

The Government has no plans to extend eligibility for free school milk to all children in reception classes or assess the demand from parents. We already assist with the cost of providing milk; schools can take part in the EU School Milk Subsidy Scheme and, as mentioned above, free school milk is provided free of charge to disadvantaged pupils.