§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what 381W would be the total estimated cost of extending the free school milk service to pupils in full-time education up to the age of 16 years assuming (a) a 60 per cent. take up (b) an 80 per cent. take up and (c) a 100 per cent. take up, taking into account the moneys available from the EEC under the proposed co-responsibility levy and moneys currently available for this purpose from FEOGA.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe information—England and Wales—is as follows:
Net cost of milk, after subsidy Take-up rate Current 3p per pint subsidy £ million Proposed 4½p per pint subsidy £ million 60 per cent. 21 18 80 per cent. 27.5 23 100 per cent. 34 28.5
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many school pupils over the age of 7 years are provided with daily free school milk on health or social grounds; what is the total cost; what is the annual gallonage involved; and how the current numbers and supply compares with each of the three preceding years for which figures are available.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonIt is estimated that in the current financial year about 34,000 such pupils in England and Wales will be supplied with 263,000 gallons of milk at a cost of about £235,000. Figures for numbers and supply for earlier years are:
Nos. of pupils Gallonage 1974–75 … … 76,000 599,000 1975–76 … … 54,000 437,000 1976–77 … … 42,000 333,000
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the latest estimate of the annual gallonage of milk provided to children between the age of 5 and 7 years; and what is the latest estimate of the gallonage which would be taken up if the free school milk scheme was extended to all pupils in full-time education up to the age of 16 years.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe estimated annual amount of milk provided free in England and Wales to the duty categories is 16 million gallons. This relates mainly to children between the ages of 5 and 7382W but includes some under fives and some older pupils. If free milk were made available to all pupils up to the age of 16 it is estimated that the total annual consumption of milk would rise to 50 million gallons.