HC Deb 05 February 1942 vol 377 cc1262-3
26. Miss Eleanor Rathbone

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the recent Order restricting the milk allowance to children in schools to one-third of a pint daily, except in the case of those receiving free milk, is being so interpreted as to prevent children ordered to have two-thirds of a pint by the doctor from receiving this quantity in school because their parents are paying for it; and whether he will give instructions to prevent children from being thus penalised because of their parents' willingness to pay?

The President of the Board of Education (Mr. Butler)

I regret that the winter shortage of milk has made it necessary to confine the maximum allowance of two-thirds of a pint a day under the Milk-in-Schools Scheme to necessitous children who receive milk free of charge. The justification for this exception to the general allowance of one-third of a pint rests not on medical grounds but on the assumption that these children may not be receiving in full their priority supply of a half-pint a day at home. Additional allowances of milk on medical grounds are governed by the provisions of the Milk (Scheme of Supply) Order, 1941.

Miss Rathbone

Do we understand from that reply that if a child is allowed to have only one-third of a pint, it is assumed that the parent will be able to obtain the other one-third of a pint at home?

Mr. Butler

Children are entitled to the domestic milk ration, in addition to any milk they receive at school.