In letters sent to the Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, the Alliance expressed worries that the Department of Health’s proposals could negatively impact on the number of children receiving their free milk, because of the added administrative burden childcare staff will face if the plans go ahead.
According to the School and Nursery Milk Alliance, its members have expressed growing anxieties that young children, who attend early years settings at least two hours a day, will cease to receive their free one-third pint of milk each day.
The Department of Health (DoH) consultation, which was launched last June to try to reduce the rising costs of the scheme, proposed a number of cost-cutting options. They include capping the price that can be claimed for milk, issuing e-voucher cards and direct supply and delivery of milk under a central contract.
The consultation deadline was later extended by six weeks to give more nurseries and schools a chance to respond because of its bad timing over the summer holidays.
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