Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to explicitly recognise the role of school milk provision within the revised School Food Standards.

The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and are continuing our work to revise the School Food Standards. We are engaging experts across the sector and are developing our plans to consult on the changes.

We know milk is excellent for children’s growth and development. Regulation 9 of the School Food Standards states that lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk must be available to children who want it for drinking at least once a day during school hours. Under Section 512ZB (3) of the Education Act 1996, it is also a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to pupils who meet the free school meal criteria.