§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance he gives to headteachers and governors about the provision of subsidised milk in schools and the entitlement of pupils to receive free school milk. [134397]
§ Jacqui SmithSchools and local education authorities are not obliged to provide milk for their pupils, but where they do so it must by law be supplied free of charge to those children whose parents are in receipt of either Income Support or income-based Jobseekee s Allowance. The Government issued guidance in September 1996. The Government encourage schools that do not provide drinking milk to consider doing so and to make use of either the EU School Milk Subsidy Scheme or the Welfare Food Scheme. These schemes are administered by the Intervention Board, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the Department of Health respectively, and it is for them to issue guidance as they consider necessary.