§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the reasons why whole fat milk and not semi-skimmed or skimmed milk is being recommended for children by his Department.
§ Mr. John PattenThe only recommendation on this subject of which we are aware relates to children under the age of five, and is contained in the recent report on diet and cardiovascular disease from the committee on medical aspects of food policy. The report advises families who elect to switch to semi-skimmed or skimmed milk to continue to provide whole cows' milk for children under five, since in the light of current scientific evidence such children usually obtain a substantial proportion of dietary energy from this source. I understand this advice is based on the consideration that that well-established benefits of whole cows' milk to children under five outweigh possible future hazards.