HC Deb 28 June 1956 vol 555 cc668-70
5. Mr. Hastings

asked the Minister of Education the longest continuous period in which school children have received milk tablets instead of milk; and whether any change has been noted in their nutrition as a result of this.

Mr. Vosper

One small school in an isolated rural area has been using milk tablets for more than a year. There is no evidence of any change in the health of the pupils.

Mr. Hastings

Does the Parliamentary Secretary realise that there are certain valuable nutrients in fresh milk, but which are not in milk tablets in sufficient quantity? Will he very carefully watch the nutrition of children, particularly where, as in this case, milk tablets have been used for a considerable time?

Mr. Vosper

These tablets have been used in this case for some time, because previously no liquid milk was available. A medical officer of health recently visited the school and found no evidence of deterioration in health. In fact, all the children were well nourished, and their general condition and physical development were good, but I appreciate the hon. Member's point, and we will keep a watch on this matter.

Mr. Shinwell

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that on commercial television every night—as I am informed and as I have occasionally seen for myself—there is advertised the need for more people to consume milk? In fact there seems to be a superabundance of milk. In that case, why do we require to use milk tablets at all?

Mr. Vosper

In this and about 80 other cases there are schools to which it is not possible to supply milk at a reasonable price and of a quality sufficiently high for school children.

6. Mr. Hastings

asked the Minister of Education the result of the inquiries he has made into the use of milk tablets in schools; and, in particular, whether these tablets are consumed by the children under supervision of the teacher as milk is, or whether they are handed to the children to be eaten at any time.

Mr. Vosper

My right hon. Friend has not completed his inquiries but reports received up to date reveal that the consumption of tablets is supervised in the same way as fresh milk.

Mr. Hastings

May I ask the Minister, whose fondness for these milk tablets I realise, if he has ever made a test as to how long it takes him to eat ten tablets and how many glasses of water are necessary to wash down those tablets? Are not all these factors rather significant, if teachers are to be sure that the tablets are consumed in school and not taken home by the children to play with?

Mr. Vosper

Both the hon. Gentleman and I have consumed these tablets and I, no more than he, think a great deal of them. My right hon. Friend's preference is for liquid milk. But there are occasions where that is not possible. In fact, in the schools which have been examined, the tablets have been consumed, not all at once, but in separate issues of five.

Mr. Shinwell

If the hon. Gentleman says—and he has said it—that the cause is partly due to the high price of liquid milk, why cannot the Government do something to bring the price down, so that these children can get liquid milk?

Mr. Vosper

This was an issue fully debated in the House—

Mr. Nabarro

The hon. Gentleman should take a few arsenic tablets instead of milk tablets.

Mr. Shurmer

On a point of order. Has the hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro) the right to suggest that any Member of this House should be poisoned by arsenic tablets instead of taking milk tablets?