Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of school milk consumption on children’s oral health, including rates of dental decay.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Water and milk are the only recommended drinks to give children regarding their oral health. Milk and dairy foods, or dairy alternatives, are an important part of a healthy balanced diet, as depicted by the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The School Food Standards state that lower fat milk and lactose-reduced milk must be available every school day, during school hours. Whole milk may be provided for pupils up to the end of the school year in which they turn five years old. Sugars naturally present in unsweetened milk and milk products are not classed as ‘free sugars’, which should be limited to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/
We have invested £11 million in 147 local authorities in 2025/26, alongside a five-year partnership with Colgate-Palmolive, to rollout a national supervised toothbrushing programme for up to 600,000 three- to five-year-olds in the 20% most deprived areas of England. The programme will tackle poor oral health by ensuring children learn positive habits and prevention of tooth decay.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will review current guidance under the school milk scheme to ensure consistency with NHS Eatwell guidance, which includes fortified dairy alternatives such as plant-based milks as part of a balanced diet.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and this response applies to England only.
Milk and relevant dairy products only are eligible under the School Milk Subsidy Scheme. There are no plans to amend the scheme requirements to include non-dairy drinks or associated products.
The Government recognises that some children with clinical and dietary needs are unable to consume milk and expects schools to make reasonable adjustments for those with such specific needs.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the single-year funding arrangement for the School Milk Subsidy Scheme on the financial sustainability of the school milk dairy supply chain.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and this response applies to England only.
The School Milk Subsidy Scheme is available in participating schools and supports the provision of milk, certain milk products and yoghurts.
The administration of the scheme is renewed regularly, and funding decisions are made on a single or multi-year basis, influenced by the timing and the duration of departmental spending reviews.
The volume of milk consumed under the scheme annually accounts for less than 1% of total UK milk production. It therefore has limited impact on the financial sustainability of those in the dairy supply chain who participate in the scheme.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits to children’s health and inclusion of expanding the School Milk Scheme to include fortified plant-based alternatives.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and this response applies to England only.
Defra regularly reviews the administration and outcomes associated with the School Milk Subsidy Scheme, most recently following the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s assessment report of health benefits and risks of consuming plant-based drinks published in July 2025.
Only milk and relevant dairy products are currently eligible for subsidy in the School Milk Subsidy Scheme and there are no plans to extend the scheme to include fortified plant-based alternatives.
The Government recognises that some children with clinical and dietary needs are unable to consume milk and expects schools to make reasonable adjustments for those with specific needs.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of the expansion of free school meal eligibility from 2026 on the level of demand for school milk; and what steps are being taken to ensure adequate provision.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to children who meet the free school meal criteria.
We are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This new entitlement will mean over 500,000 of the most disadvantaged children will begin to access free meals putting £500 back in families’ pockets.
We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multi-year spending review period to cover additional meal costs. This includes milk. This is on top of £1.5 billion we already spend annually supporting schools to deliver free school meals and milk.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what initiatives are (1) in place, and (2) planned, to provide advice for families of pre-school aged children about healthy eating and nutrition.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Last October, the first Best Start in Life campaign was launched, tackling the confusion and pressure facing parents in the early years by providing trusted, expert information to give every child the best start in life. The joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education campaign provides National Health Service backed advice and guidance on a wide range of topics, including infant feeding, and weaning and directs parents to the Best Start in Life website for support on how to feed their baby.
Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, local authorities are expected to connect a range of services through Family Hubs, including nutrition and weight management services. Staff in the family hub should be able to raise the topic of weight management with families and should be aware of what services are available and be able to connect families to them.
The Healthy Start Scheme helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In April 2026 the value of the weekly payments will increase by 10%. Pregnant women and children aged over one and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25, and children under one years old will each receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50.
The funding for Healthy Start can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried, and tinned pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries are also eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to alternatives to weight loss drugs in appropriate cases, in particular (1) taxation of unhealthy food, and (2) promotion of exercise.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to tackling the root causes of obesity, shifting the focus from treatment to prevention. As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, we’re improving diets, increasing physical activity, and creating healthier environments so fewer people reach the point of needing treatment. This includes requiring all large food businesses to report against standardised metrics on healthier food sales, setting full transparency and accountability around the food that businesses are selling, and encouraging healthier products. We will also be updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink to bring these restrictions in line with the latest dietary advice and increase their health impact.
There currently isn’t a tax on less healthy food, although the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) has been in place since 2018 and applies to manufacturers and importers of pre-packed added sugar soft drinks that contain five grams of total sugar per 100 millilitres or more. However, in the 2025 Autumn Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced the extension of the SDIL to pre-packed milk-based and milk substitutes, including soya, oat, and almond milk, among others, and a lowering of the lowest sugar threshold at which the levy applies to 4.5 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres. These measures will come into effect on 1 January 2028. The Government keeps all taxes under regular review.
We also need to support those already living with obesity. The National Health Service and local government provide a range of services to support people living with overweight and obesity to reach a healthier weight. For eligible individuals, this includes the option of being prescribed weight loss medicines, but there are also other weight management services available, including behavioural support and surgery.
The Government recognises that, coupled with interventions such as promoting a healthy diet, physical activity can help with the maintenance of a healthier weight. The national movement campaign announced in the 10-Year Health Plan will get millions moving more and the development of a new school sport partnerships network will provide more opportunities for the least active children to reap the benefits of movement.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending free milk eligibility to the end of the academic year in which a child turns five.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Nursery Milk Scheme is a statutory scheme which allows early years childcare settings to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk per day to children under the age of five years old who attend a setting for two or more hours per day. Schools can claim reimbursement from the scheme in respect of their pupils aged under five years old.
There are no plans to extend eligibility for the Nursery Milk Scheme to cover children until the end of the academic year, during which they reach their fifth birthday. Separate legislation allows pupils from lower-income families, and who are eligible for free school meals, to continue to receive free milk at school after the age of five years old.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reintroducing a milk strategy for schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only
Milk is an excellent food for children’s growth and development. As part of the School Food Standards, 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. It is a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to pupils who meet the free school milk criteria, and schools may charge all other pupils.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads the School Milk Scheme Strategy, which supports the provision of milk in schools. The strategy aims to support the consumption of dairy products by children from an early age to promote healthy eating habits and good nutritional health, and support efforts to tackle child obesity by part subsidising, or reimburse in full where relevant, the cost of a daily portion of dairy in line with national guidance. The Strategy also sets out who the support is targeted at and the eligible products that can be supported.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration her Department has given to including milk in government-funded breakfast clubs without reducing funding for existing milk provision schemes.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department funds schools taking part in the free breakfast clubs programme to buy breakfast foods and drinks, as well as to cover staffing and delivery costs.
Schools are required to provide a breakfast adhering to the school food standards, which could include a glass of lower fat milk. However, it is up to schools to decide what they serve in line with the standards. Where schools provide milk, they can also choose whether to participate in the national school milk subsidy scheme which can be used to reduce the cost of the milk
Additionally, the Nursery Milk Scheme is operated and funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and provides free milk to children under five at participating schools and childcare settings.