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Gordon Booth · 09-08-2010, 14:39

Calm down,calm down! let's take the emotion and politics out of this and look at it with detachment.
School milk started in 1940 when Wartime Rationing meant we ALL,including children, were living on the absolute minimum. The government considered it essential that children needed the extra boost.Not because their parents couldn't afford it,they couldn't GET it! And even then,in the 40's,many of us didn't drink it.
That is 70 YEARS ago.Can anyone tell me that in 2010 parents,even on the Welfare System,can't afford 12.5 pence/day for their child to have a glass of milk(based on 189ml/child)? And that is only during school terms.And can it be fair that parents on £30,0000 up to millionares are given subsidised milk(and MANY other subsidies!) paid for by the state(i.e US)
As far back as 2006 a report for the Labour government stated that free milk was of no benifit to children on a modern diet and was a waste of money.
It may only be £59 million, but find 17 more unnecessary schemes like that and you've saved ONE Billion pounds.
By the way, the administration costs for this scheme are 70%-that's £41,000,000.That goes on civil servants, public sector costs etc.And out of the 30% left,the supply companies are making a profit.Value for money?Can't we spend £59million on the children who NEED it and get real value?

09-08-2010, 14:39	#12
Gordon Booth Senior Member+ Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,402 Liked: 715 times Rep Power: 46612	Re: Milk Snatchers? Calm down,calm down! let's take the emotion and politics out of this and look at it with detachment. School milk started in 1940 when Wartime Rationing meant we ALL,including children, were living on the absolute minimum. The government considered it essential that children needed the extra boost.Not because their parents couldn't afford it,they couldn't GET it! And even then,in the 40's,many of us didn't drink it. That is 70 YEARS ago.Can anyone tell me that in 2010 parents,even on the Welfare System,can't afford 12.5 pence/day for their child to have a glass of milk(based on 189ml/child)? And that is only during school terms.And can it be fair that parents on £30,0000 up to millionares are given subsidised milk(and MANY other subsidies!) paid for by the state(i.e US) As far back as 2006 a report for the Labour government stated that free milk was of no benifit to children on a modern diet and was a waste of money. It may only be £59 million, but find 17 more unnecessary schemes like that and you've saved ONE Billion pounds. By the way, the administration costs for this scheme are 70%-that's £41,000,000.That goes on civil servants, public sector costs etc.And out of the 30% left,the supply companies are making a profit.Value for money?Can't we spend £59million on the children who NEED it and get real value?