§ 62. Mr. Lipsonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether free milk may be provided by local education committees to necessitous school children to prevent malnutrition, or if a child must be declared to be suffering from malnutrition before the free milk can be given?
Mr. LindsayI am sending the hon. Member a copy of the Board's Circular 1443, from which he will see that free milk may properly be provided for any child who shows any educational or physical symptoms, however slight, of being unable by reason of lack of food to take full advantage of his education and whose parents are unable to pay. As the circular points out, children may be recommended for free meals or milk by teachers, school nurses and others who are in daily contact with them. It is not necessary that the children should first be certified by the school medical officer as suffering from sub-normal nutrition, but it is important in the interests of the children that those selected should be seen by him as soon as possible.
§ 63. Mr. Lipsonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether necessitous school children, who are entitled to free milk, may have it at their homes on days when they are absent from school because of illness?
Mr. LindsayThe milk-in-schools scheme at present applies only to milk actually consumed in schools or other approved centres. The Board recognise that it is desirable that children who have been selected for free milk at school 379 should continue to receive it when they are absent through illness, but it would be difficult to devise suitable arrangements. The matter is, however, receiving consideration.
§ Mr. LipsonIf any education committee are prepared to make arrangements, are they empowered at present to do so?