§ 33. Dr. Kingasked the Minister of Education whether in view of the provision now made by some local education authorities for the supply of milk to some schoolchildren at weekends and during 752 the holidays he will modify that section of Circular 302 which forbids them to continue this provision.
§ Mr. VosperNo Sir.
§ Dr. KingIs the hon. Gentleman aware that some local education authorities have made wise and inexpensive provision whereby some groups of children—sometimes all the orphan children of the local education authority area—are provided with milk at week-ends and during holidays? When milk is so plentiful, is not this decision a mean little economy?
§ Mr. VosperI could not agree that it is necessarily inexpensive. It is additional to milk in schools and is used only by a small proportion of local authorities. Now that milk rationing is no longer in force it is no longer justified.
§ Mr. M. StewartDoes the hon. Gentleman remember that this wretched little economy was previously justified on the ground that these provisions were exceptionally expensive, which is not borne out by the experience of the local authority mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Itchen (Dr. King) and other authorities?
§ Mr. VosperI said I could not share the view of the hon. Member for Itchen (Dr. King). To administer these schemes has generally proved expensive and rather wasteful. That is one of the reasons it has been found advisable to discontinue them.