§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take action to ensure that those families entitled to free milk, but who are not now receiving it, do so; and what is his estimate of the numbers of families in this category.
§ Mr. NewtonFamilies in receipt of supplementary benefit and family income supplement automatically receive tokens for free milk with the respective benefit. 247W However, it is necessary for those in the low income category to make application to their local social security office for their entitlement to be established. Latest figures show that the number of beneficiaries in this group has risen by more than 50 per cent. since 1980 to about 40,000. I regret it is not possible to say what proportion these represent of all the families who might be found to be entitled if they made an application. Revised welfare food leaflets, giving information about the scheme, were issued recently to social security offices, post offices, maternity and child health clinics and doctors' surgeries.