Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to introduce free school milk for all children in (a) Early Years Foundation Stage and (b) Key Stage 1; and what steps the Government is taking to increase the use of plastic-free packaging for milk provided to schools.

The government wants to give children the best possible start in the early years of their life. The Nursery Milk Scheme allows early years settings and schools to claim back the cost of providing one drink of milk per day to all children under the age of five. It is important that we target our funding as effectively as possible towards children that are most in need. From the age of five upwards, free milk is therefore available to all children who are eligible for free school meals. We have no current plans to extend free school milk eligibility. Schools are able to take part in the EU School Milk Subsidy Scheme to assist with the cost of providing milk.

Schools are responsible for their day-to-day routine and we know that they are concerned about wider issues like reducing wastage. Numerous schools are actively trying to reduce plastic waste with schemes that work with suppliers and involve pupils looking after their environment, both inside and outside of school and we encourage schools to do as much as they can.