§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 17 July, col. 611, whether free school meals and free welfare milk would be available to families with children under his proposed scheme for income during initial sickness, whether or not they were in receipt of family income supplement or supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. PrenticeThere are no plans for changing the present rules governing entitlement either to free school meals or to free welfare milk among our proposals for the introduction of employer's statutory sick pay.
These rules are that children in families receiving family income supplement or supplementary benefit have a statutory entitlement to free school meals. Beyond that, local authorities are required to remit the whole or part of the charge where they consider it appropriate to do so.
Free welfare milk for pregnant and nursing mothers and children under five is available to families on low incomes whatever their source of income; and families in receipt of family income supplement or supplementary benefit have automatic title to free welfare milk for each person in the family who qualifies for it.