§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have read the article by Dr. G. W. Lynch in the Medical Officer of Friday, January 24, 1969, on "Food Intake and the Education of Children", and whether they will initiate a full-scale research project on the problem of malnutrition among schoolchildren.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY (BARONESS SEROTA)My Lords, I have now seen the article by Dr. Lynch, but it is not considered that any change is required in the Government's current programme of research and investigation, which has been recommended by the Chief Medical Officer's Expert Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy. This programme includes a study of the nutrition of some 1,500 schoolchildren in Kent which began in May, 1968. A record of a week's diet will be analysed for nutrient content, and each child will be medically examined, if parental consent is given. It is hoped that a second study will commence in October of this year in another area in England yet to be determined. The Kent Study should be completed by September, 1970.
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Baroness for that encouraging Answer. May I ask whether she agrees that this is a serious problem; that the research done by Dr. Lynch shows that a large number of young children, in the London area at 322 any rate, are going to school without breakfast, having had a quite insignificant meal the night before? Further, does not the noble Baroness think, quite apart from the investigations being made, that the Government might push ahead with this matter and ask local education authorities to explore the situation further?
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, the Government, indeed successive Governments for the past sixty years, have been concerned about the relationship between poor nutrition and the education and learning ability of children. We are, however, of the view that the interpretation that Dr. Lynch has placed on the figures is not the correct one and we are in touch with him about it. It may interest your Lordships to know that in the Kent study it was found that, out of rather more than 100 children, 19 girls and 9 boys did not take breakfast. The boys were found to be slightly thinner than a comparable sample who took breakfast; the girls were, if anything, fatter than a comparable sample. There is no evidence here to suggest that the boys were less well grown or less well muscled.
§ LORD AMULREEMy Lords, does not the Minister think that one might call in the good offices of the Central Council for Health and Education to publish propaganda in order to teach parents that they should try to give their children a breakfast before leaving for school?
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, I will certainly take note of the noble Lord's suggestion.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, is my noble friend aware of the fact that the Health Group of another place met last week when they considered Dr. Lynch's Paper, and that they took such a serious view of it that they have asked the Government seriously to reconsider their policy on this subject? They have asked whether it is not a quite short-sighted economy to cut down on the milk and the food of these children.
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, I was not aware of the meeting to which the noble Baroness has referred. I have noted her point. It is somewhat outside the scope of this particular Question, but I will look into it.