§ Sir W. SUGDENasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what are the numbers of children in elementary schools in Essex and also in England and Wales who receive during their attendance at school a tumbler of milk daily morning and/or afternoon; and what is the test of elimination whereby others in the same schools are not so supplied?
§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMThe numbers of school children in the geographical county of Essex and in England and Wales as a whole, who were provided with milk by local education authorities during the month of February last, were 1,363 and 184,493 respectively. In addition, it is estimated that about 21,000 school children in the geographical county of Essex, and 900,000 in England and Wales as a whole, receive milk daily under voluntary milk schemes administered by the National Milk Publicity Council. The selection of children to receive milk depends on a variety of factors such as, for example, the condition of the child, the willingness or unwillingness of the parents to pay where able to do so, or the willingness of the parent to allow the child to receive milk.