To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many litres of milk were provided by the free school milk scheme per eligible pupil in England over the last 12 months. (128382)

This Department does not collect data on school milk provision in schools.

Local authorities (LAs) are not obliged to provide milk, but where they do so they must provide it free of charge to pupils entitled to receive a free school lunch.

LAs are free to make use of the EU school milk subsidy scheme (the subsidy), which reduces the cost of milk purchased in nursery and primary schools. Use of the subsidy makes milk more affordable to those parents who purchase school milk and reduces the cost to LAs of free milk provision.