Found: School food policies that incorporate dairy or school milk programmes can help promote healthy dietary

Found: ensure that all children are able to access milk to which they are entitled through the relevant school

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons for administering the Nursery Milk Scheme to children only until their fifth birthday rather than until the end of the academic year in which that birthday falls.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursery Milk Scheme allows early years childcare settings such as childminders and nurseries to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk to children under five years old who attend their childcare setting for at least two hours per day. Schools are also allowed to claim under this scheme in respect of pupils under the age of five years old. There are no current plans to extend the Nursery Milk Scheme to cover other school pupils.

The School Food Standards require lower-fat or lactose free milk to be available in all schools. From the age of five years old onwards, pupils eligible for benefits-based free school meals are eligible for free school milk. In addition, the school milk subsidy scheme subsidises the cost of milk and certain milk products for children in primary and secondary schools including over fives. This means that participating schools can sell the products in schools at a lower price. More information on this scheme is available on GOV.UK in an online-only format.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential (1) social, and (2) economic, benefits of expanding the School Milk Subsidy Scheme to provide a free one third of a pint portion of milk to all primary school age children each day attending school.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Milk is an excellent food for children’s growth and development. This is why, as part of the School Food Standards, schools are already required to ensure milk is available to all pupils who want it during school hours. The National School Milk Subsidy Scheme can be used by primary schools to reduce the cost of milk for all their pupils.

Thanks to Universal Infant Free School Meals, pupils under seven years old are already eligible for free milk when it is offered as part of their school lunch. Older pupils entitled to benefits related free school meals are also eligible for free milk when made available during the school day. This is in addition to the free milk provided for children under five-years-old thanks to the Nursery Milk Scheme.

As with free school meals, the department believes it is important to support those most in need and to ensure policy remains affordable and deliverable for schools. The department does not have plans to change the current eligibility conditions for the scheme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review administrative barriers for childminders seeking to claim from the Nursery Milk Scheme.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursery Milk Scheme allows early years childcare settings such as childminders, nurseries and some schools, to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk to children under five who attend their childcare setting for at least two hours per day. It is not compulsory for childcare settings who are eligible to join the Scheme, but all are welcome to do so.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is currently run by the NHS Business Services Authority under a direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. There are no current plans to changes the way in which the Scheme operates.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage wider take up of the Nursery Milk Scheme in early years settings and among childminders.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursery Milk Scheme allows early years childcare settings such as childminders, nurseries and some schools, to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk to children under five who attend their childcare setting for at least two hours per day. It is not compulsory for childcare settings who are eligible to join the Scheme, but all are welcome to do so.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is currently run by the NHS Business Services Authority under a direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. There are no current plans to changes the way in which the Scheme operates.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing the provision of the Nursery Milk Scheme to finish at the end of the reception academic year rather than when individual children reach the age of five.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursery Milk Scheme allows early years childcare settings, such as childminders and nurseries, to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk to children under five years old, who attend their childcare setting for at least two hours per day. Schools are also allowed to claim under this scheme, in respect of pupils under the age of five years old. There are no current plans to extend the scheme to cover other school pupils.

The School Food Standards require lower-fat or lactose free milk to be available in all schools. From the age of five years old onwards, pupils eligible for benefits-based free school meals are also eligible for free school milk. In addition, the school milk subsidy scheme subsidises the cost of milk and certain milk products for children in primary and secondary schools, including over five-year-olds. This means that participating schools can sell the products in schools at a lower price. More information on this scheme is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-milk-subsidy-scheme

Found: Du X, Zhu K, Trube A, Zhang Q, Ma G, Hu X, Fraser DR & Greenfield H (2004) School -milk intervention

Found: Senedd Cymru (2008-2011) NHS Redress (Wales) Measure 2008 (nawm_1) Statutory instruments (from 1948) School

Found: and nutritious food, drink and meals as part of their school day, including free school meals and school

Found: - 2023 Q3 - 2023 Data Collection for the Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme and the Scottish School

Found: Budget cover to ensure continuation of school milk subsidy.

Closed Consultation: Consultation on arrangements for Scotland to continue participating in the EU School Milk scheme

Found: Consultation on arrangements for Scotland to continue participating in the EU School Milk scheme