§ LORD BOOTHBYMy 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 propose to restore milk in our schools.
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, the possibility of restoring free school milk to the pupils from whom it was withdrawn in 1971 by the Education (Milk) Act is among the many matters which the Government are considering, but no decision has yet been reached.
§ LORD BOOTHBYMy Lords, is it not rather unfortunate that no decision has yet been reached, because the national milk scheme which I had the honour of introducing in another place in 1940 has 583 been the foundation of the health of our new population, I believe, over the last thirty years or so? Does the noble Lord not think it is time that the Government took a decisison to restore milk to our schools?
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, I appreciate that the noble Lord, Lord Boothby, thinks that this Government are capable of taking a vast number of decisions in a very short period, but I feel that a period of some three weeks is perhaps a little too short to make all the decisions that have to be made. I would suggest that my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not make a bad beginning yesterday with regard to the consumption of milk.
§ LORD SEGALMy Lords, does the noble Lord realise that it would cost far less now to restore this facility than it would have done prior to the General Election?
§ LORD MAYBRAY-KINGMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the restoration of milk to schoolchildren is one of the most important minor reforms that could be introduced by Her Majesty's Government at this moment?
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, I agree very much with my noble friend Lord Maybray-King and I will see that the attention of my right honourable friend is drawn to what has been said.
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, in three weeks the noble Lord may have had time to check upon two things, and perhaps I may ask him about both of them. First, is the noble Lord aware that in 1970 the committee dealing with the medical aspects of food said that they would undertake to investigate a variety of different ways of monitoring the methods by which nutritional standards were achieved for children? Have Her Majesty's Government any reason to be concerned about nutritional standards? Secondly, may I ask the noble Lord about the findings of a very widely based Working Party which was set up by my right honourable friend the former Secretary of State to look into the school meals service? Have the findings of that Working Party any relevance to the Question which the noble Lord, Lord Boothby, has asked to-day?
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, I made particular inquiries about the first matter which has been raised by the noble Lord, and have been informed that it is too early yet to draw any conclusions. With regard to the second matter, concerning the Working Party, I have no information that I can give to the House.
§ LORD WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, would my noble friend bear in mind that all of us sitting on these Benches have always wished to have milk provided for our children in schools? Surely my noble friend would agree that this is a subject which should not wait for a long period of analysis: the school milk ought to be restored at once.
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, I am sure the whole House will know my views on this matter. I took a fairly active role in our proceedings when the Bill was before the House, and I shall be very pleased to draw the attention of my right honourable friend to what has just been said.
§ LORD BOOTHBYMy Lords, would it be possible for the noble Lord to suggest to me a date on which I might put down another but similiar Question?
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, I am quite sure that the noble Lord, Lord Boothby, does not expect me to reply in the affirmative.
§ BARONESS BROOKE OF YSTRADFELLTEMy Lords, would the noble Lord ask his right honourable friend, when he is considering the reintroduction of free milk in schools, also to consider ways of avoiding the wastage of just that commodity? When it was free previously a considerable amount of milk was wasted in schools. Much of it was not taken up, but it was not allowed to be sent to the homes of the children who might have benefited by it.
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, while I am quite sure the my right honourable friend is well aware of that matter, again I will draw his attention to what has been said.
§ LORD COLERAINEMy Lords, is it not the fact that the great majority of parents in this country could themselves well provide the milk for their children?
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, I think the answer is, Yes. Undoubtedly, since yesterday still more parents will be in that happy position.
§ LORD TREFGARNEMy Lords, can the noble Lord tell us which children are at present still entitled to free milk?
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYThose, my Lords, who are certified by the medical officer of health as having a health need.
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the answer he has just given is not strictly accurate? The entitlement also includes all children in special schools, which adds a very great number of children to those mentioned by the noble Lord across the Floor of the House.
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, I agree; but I should not have thought there was any need for confusion on this point.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that we are somewhat confused on this side of the House, and are wondering why noble Lords are so interested in this matter in view of the fact that they withdrew the milk from the children?
§ LORD TREFGARNEMy Lords, could the noble Lord say why my son gets free milk? He is not specially certified by the doctor, and does not, so far as I know, go to a special school.
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, not having the precise details of the information the noble Lord requires, I am unable to provide the answer he desires. I will have inquiries made and write to him on the matter.