"End to school milk scheme a double blow for West children and farmers" - Watson

12.00.00am GMT Wed 11th Jan 2006

Commenting on recent reports that the Government is considering ending the subsidised milk scheme which provides affordable milk to more than 40,000 school-age children, Lib Dem Euro-MP Graham Watson said:

"School milk is well subsidised by the EU to the tune of £6million every year. The amount the Government will save by ending milk for children is only a quarter of the amount which will be lost from the EU. Not only will this harm the long term health of young children who learn good eating and nutrition habits in the school environment, but is a greater burden for the West's dairy farmers already struggling to cope with poor prices".

Concerned by the poor take up of school milk in his South West constituency and active over many years on the issue, Graham Watson took up the case most recently in 2004, writing to both the European Commission and Lord Whitty at Defra. Commenting on the reply he received from Lord Whitty, Mr Watson continued:

"The UK Government benefits from considerable financial input from the EU to make milk available to every nursery and primary school pupil. Even in 2004 I found the obvious lack of concern for promoting take up to schools alarming."

These latest reports follow in the wake of the Department for Education's claims to be 'undoing years of neglect' in school meals and investing £220 million in helping Local Education Authorities provide training to catering staff. Mr Watson said:

"Labour continues to send out mixed messages - giving with one hand and taking away with the other. £1.5 million to continue subsidising school milk out of a £220 million budget is surely not too much to ask?"