School Milk (Hansard, 26 July 1977)

§ 2. Mr. Torney
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of the fact that the EEC is prepared to make funds available for the extension of the provision of free school milk, she will bring forward legislation to extend the present limited scheme.

§ The Secretary of State for Education and Science and Paymaster-General (Mrs. Shirley Williams)
As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State told my right hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Mr. Irving) on 18th July, I am considering with colleagues how best to take advantage of the EEC subsidy arrangements, but I am not yet in a position to give details.

§ Mr. Torney
Is the Secretary of State aware that she can give great assistance in three different ways? She can help to—

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Member cannot advise the Minister. He can only seek information.

§ Mr. Torney
I shall start again, Mr. Speaker. Is the Secretary of State aware that considerable help could be given to children's health by giving them milk and by extending this scheme? Will she consider helping the dairy industry as well, because there is plenty of milk about? If she were to agree to this, she could get back some of the crumbs from the massive deficit existing in the overall payments made to the Common Market.

§ Mrs. Williams
My hon. Friend's questioning reveals a certain amount of advice which I shell take into account. I am aware of all those things, but my hon. Friend should know that the EEC subsidy is applicable only to milk that is already subsidised by local authorities. That is why we have to look at the milk already subsidised in some form or another and see how we can best use the EEC funds.

§ Mr. Beith
Does the Secretary of State agree that there is a very good bargain here involving a farther £10 million of European money, especially in view of the survey showing that about 500,000 children go to school without breakfast? Does she agree that this would be worth while?

§ Mrs. Williams
Yes. In no way do I deny what the hon. Member has said. But this would apply only in cases where the local authority pays half or more of the subsidy. This is what presents the problem, because local authorities have already done their financing for this year. We are trying to find ways to overcome it.

§ Mr. Stan Crowther
Does my right hon. Friend agree that, if the local authorities agree to this, the net cost above the present scheme would be only about £8 million a year to provide or restore free milk to the junior school age group? These are the children from whom the milk was withdrawn by her predecessor, the present Leader of the Opposition. Would not this be a fairly modest price to pay for a great nutritional benefit?

§ Mrs. Williams
In the current year, where local authorities have already completed their budgets they would have to 282 find another £8 million and this might have to come off teacher employment. We are not prepared to accept this. However, we are seeing whether other ways can be found to use the EEC subsidy to assist with milk which do not involve local authorities in having to find savings on this scale.