Published: August 8th 2010 - at 9:45 amTories u-turn on free milk for infants
The government is considering cutting a UK-wide scheme offering free milk to under-five-year-olds in nursery or daycare, the BBC has learned.
UK health minister Anne Milton set out the proposals in a letter to Scottish public health minister Shona Robison.
She said there was no evidence the scheme improved health and it was too expensive to run.
The government expected opposition to the measure from the media, parents, nurseries, childminders and the dairy sector, she admitted, adding: “Abolition of the scheme is likely to be highly controversial, particularly as this will affect some children in low-income families.”
But she said: “This should not prevent us from ending an ineffective universal measure – and this would clearly be the best time to do it, given the state of public finances and the need to make savings.”
Update: The government, knowing the bad PR that would follow, has already u-turned.
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Reader comments
Oh no they don’t!
Volte Face live on air, on today’s Andy Marr Show:
http://zelo-street.blogspot.com/2010/08/milk-snatch-aborted-live-on-air.html
What was that about U-Turns, Mrs T?
Lansley doesn’t rhyme with snatcher – this might be difficult.
What about Andrew Lansley, the milk rapparee!!
I fail to understand the DMiliband/Labour policy on this: if David Miliband shares the general outrage at Thatcher’s removal of school milk in the 70s (as he implied in a comment saying this decision would excite as much anger as hers sid), does he favour restoring school milk in primary schools, at least once the economy is in good shape? If not, how can the outrage be genuine?
According to Andy Cooke on politicalbetting.com, it was Labour that took the decision to end school milk for 5-to-7-year-olds (Thatcher having ended it for 7-to-11-year-olds). If so, did that outrage David Miliband, too?
Putting aside the politics of this, nobody, including children needs cows milk for healthy lives or development. It is a myth peddled by a cruel dairy industry and the NFU and has been instilled in people for years.
So yes, the Tories are cutting all over the place but on a wider level there needs to be a challenge to the nonsense being spouted about milk being vital to child or adult health.
@Chris
Putting aside the politics of this, nobody, including children needs cows milk for healthy lives or development. It is a myth peddled by a cruel dairy industry and the NFU and has been instilled in people for years.
Is it?
I wonder if you should pay a little more attention to the research before making sweeping generalisations as the journal paper cited by MilkMyths.org (Lanou et al…) concludes with the following observation:
Currently, available evidence does not support nutrition guidelines focused specifically on increasing milk or other dairy product intake for promoting child and adolescent bone mineralization. Data regarding the effect of dairy product intake on bone mineralization in boys, children who are <7 years old, and nonwhite preadolescent and adolescent girls are scarce.
Before writing off the presumed value of milk consumption in infants, you really should provide either evidence relating to that age group or demonstrate that its reasonable to generalise the evidence from other age groups to infants. Given that neither has been done, to date, the only appropriate conclusion here is that the jury is still out on the nutritional merits of providing free school milk.
Coalition breaks record for shortest time for a minister to be overuled live on TV….3 minutes and 41 seconds…..
http://redrag1.blogspot.com/2010/08/red-rag-confused-coalition.html
She said there was no evidence the scheme improved health and it was too expensive to run.
That’s not stopped this government endorsing homeopathic medicene on the NHS. Clearly they should have given the kids heavily-diluted milk that’s been banged on a cushion instead.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Liberal Conspiracy
Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj
- Eilidh
You mean they are snatching milk again? I hoped I'd never have to go "milk snatcher" at someone… http://bit.ly/bOMS8j
- Guppi Bola
Who could have predicted this one coming? RT @libcon Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj
- sunny hundal
Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj
- Dave Harris
Some things never change. Just can't help snatching milk RT @libcon Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj
- Anne Fairweather
I never liked milk but still, surely repeating history isn't wise, are there any mines to shut next? RT @libcon: http://bit.ly/b9INPj
- Carmen D'Cruz
RT @sunny_hundal: Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj
- Ali King
RT @sunny_hundal Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj << Milk Snatcher mark 2
- Uncle Herba
Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants | Liberal … http://bit.ly/aIfBt7
- Suma
RT @sunny_hundal: Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj
- Alan Henness
RT @sunny_hundal: Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj
- Claudio Carvalho
Liberalism effects in UK… | Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/dmVs9J
- Paul n
Argh the milk snatchers are back. http://bit.ly/abva17
- Health Care
Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants | Liberal …: Health minister plans to cut free milk for infan… http://bit.ly/aIfBt7
- Hot In Healthcare
Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants | Liberal Conspiracy http://shrten.com/528w
- Alan Henness
RT @Paulnuk2O1O: Argh the milk snatchers are back. http://bit.ly/abva17
- Raincoat Optimism
RT @ali_king: RT @sunny_hundal Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj << Milk Snatcher mark 2
- Kate B
RT @ali_king: RT @sunny_hundal Minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj << Milk Snatcher 2>>b cutting infants next
- SSP Campsie
RT @ali_king: RT @sunny_hundal Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants http://bit.ly/b9INPj << Milk Snatcher mark 2
- Health Blogger
#healthnews Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants | Liberal … http://tinyurl.com/25vb9oo
- Hannah Nicklin
Ah, just as we found a good rhyme for Cam Cam Milk Snatcher Man, he goes and changes his mind http://bit.ly/bJRNzu (see update)
- Samantha Stone
Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants | Liberal …: Health minister plans to cut free milk for infan… http://bit.ly/coqHzt
- Free URL
Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants | Liberal … http://bit.ly/cnddxO
- free offers online
Health minister plans to cut free milk for infants | Liberal …: Health minister plans to cut free milk for infan… http://bit.ly/aIfBt7
- Erica Marfell
RT @hannahnicklin: Ah, just as we found a good rhyme for Cam Cam Milk Snatcher Man, he goes and changes his mind http://bit.ly/bJRNzu (see update)
- HushCryBaby
Tories u-turn on free milk for infants | Liberal Conspiracy http://bit.ly/czVvBn
- Was the Tory milk u-turn a stunt? « Though Cowards Flinch
[...] a stunt? August 9, 2010 Dave Semple Leave a comment Go to comments Recent commentary by Liberal Conspiracy and the New Statesman on the Con-Lib “u-turn” over whether or not to abandon free milk [...]
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