§ 10. Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated amount of financial aid which has been allocated by the European Economic Community for the provision of milk and dairy products to schoolchildren for the current year.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe letter of amendment to the 1980 draft EEC budget forecasts financial aid for the supply of milk to school children at 59.7 million European units of account (meua), 28.9 meua of which is to be financed from the co-responsibility levy on milk producers. However, as the hon. Member knows, the European Parliament has rejected the draft budget.
§ Mr. WainwrightDoes the Minister agree that the Government's policy appears to be not to give free milk to children, especially those aged 5 to 7 years, but, if they agreed to give that free milk, almost 50 per cent. of the retail cost would be paid for by the EEC? Does he further agree that it is crazy not to give milk to the children and allow them to gain nutritional value and increase their health?
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe education authorities' obligation to provide school (No. 2) Bill simply relaxes the local milk. If local authorities decide to continue to provide milk to schools, it is possible for that subsidy to be claimed.
§ Mr. John Home RobertsonWhy do so many local authorities, particularly Conservative-controlled local authorities such as Borders regional council, not take advantage of the assistance available from the Common Market? Their failure is to the detriment of children and milk producers?
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithI thought that the hon. Gentleman also believed in a certain amount of freedom for local authorities to come to their own conclusions, rather than dictation from the centre.