• New Tory Government NOT Milk Snatchers
    21 replies, posted
Despite one of the Milliband brothers saying they are. [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10904958[/url] [quote]Downing Street has said plans to scrap free milk for under fives will not go ahead, the BBC has learned. It comes after UK Health Minister Anne Milton set out the proposals in a letter to Scottish Public Health Minister Shona Robison. A source said Prime Minister David Cameron was not aware of the proposals, according to the BBC's Ross Hawkins. Labour leadership contender David Miliband had already called the minister's proposal a "cruel cut". BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said: "The prime minister does not like the idea of five-year-olds having their free milk scrapped. "He did not know about the letter before it was sent out. I don't think this decision was made because of a quote from David Miliband. "He will have considered the political fallout both within the coalition and with the public. The political damage would be too great." Earlier, the Department of Health confirmed the details of the letter but said no final decision had yet been taken. It came after Ms Milton said the milk scheme was too expensive and the government was considering increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers for the poorest families instead. [B]'Ineffective universal measure'[/B] In a letter, Ms Milton said the government was looking at abolishing the Nursery Milk scheme by April 2011 and added that she would also be writing to the Welsh and Northern Irish health departments to hear their views. The cost of the scheme had almost doubled in the last five years, she said. The health minister also said there was no evidence the scheme improved health. 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." She said that the cost of running the scheme in England this year was nearly £50m and would rise to £59m in 2011-12 She said the programme did not "provide value for money in difficult times" and had "become increasingly outdated." Upon hearing of Downing Street's decision, Universities Minister David Willetts said it was right that all options were considered as part of the government's spending review. "There are lots of sensitivities about a whole range of options. But this has to be a Comprehensive Spending Review. "The least that people should expect is that when the final decisions are taken, they are taking after every possible option has been looked at. And remember, then they will be more credible when people know we have looked at every option and these are the final decisions we have reached." Speaking before Downing Street rejected the proposal, Labour shadow foreign secretary and party leadership contender David Miliband said the proposal would cause "real anger amongst parents, nurseries and milk providers". He said: "This is one of the last remaining welfare schemes which allows children across the country to benefit from free, healthy milk. "It is a universal benefit because every child needs to have milk in their diet. "A new Tory government scrapping free milk has dark echoes of Thatcher snatching milk from a previous generation and will cause as much fury as before. "This is a cruel cut which will hurt children the most." The Nursery Milk scheme is the only remaining part of a scheme introduced in 1940 to help protect pregnant women and young children against wartime food shortages. [B]Consultation process[/B] Ms Milton added that to compensate children from the very lowest income families, she was considering increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers from next April. These are given to pregnant women and children under four and can be used to buy milk or fresh fruit and vegetables. However, she said the scheme was still being evaluated, and any initial rise might simply be in line with inflation. As the scheme is not controlled by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Westminster has the power to abolish it across the UK. Tam Fry, chairman of the Child Growth Foundation and spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum, said children benefited from the free milk. He said: "They need milk more to do with their growth and their cell growth, and also to supply some of the nutrients and vitamins which are so vital to growing children. And the fact that it was brought back was very conducive because in fact when the milk was not available there was a marked decrease in the growth of children." In a statement issued earlier, a Department of Health spokesman said scrapping the scheme was one of the options it was looking at as part of its Spending Review. He said: "We've consulted the devolved administrations for their view. "One of the options we are considering is to remove the scheme and increase the value of the Healthy Start voucher but no final decision has been taken." [/quote] So that's good then.
It's just as well - "David Cameron, milk snatcher!" hasn't the same ring
Why the hell does everyone think that you die if you don't drink milk. It's a stupid law.
[QUOTE=sp00ks;23913687]Why the hell does everyone think that you die if you don't drink milk. It's a stupid law.[/QUOTE] apparently we're all fat and unhealthy and the government wants to change that.
I see why they don't want to keep the old image... [IMG]http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/gallery/2005/03/23/MargaretThatcher.jpg[/IMG]
I wouldn't mind if they scrapped it. Give them water.
[QUOTE=frankie penis;23913981]apparently we're all fat and unhealthy and the government wants to change that.[/QUOTE] milk isn't exactly slimming
Are you serious? Like in those cartoons, there is a actually a mutahfucking milk man? HAAHAHAHAaAHAHAHahhFhafAHHFhf
[QUOTE=plokoon9619;23915982]Are you serious? Like in those cartoons, there is a actually a mutahfucking milk man? HAAHAHAHAaAHAHAHahhFhafAHHFhf[/QUOTE] you mad? wake up in the morning, open door. have some milk. feels good man
[QUOTE=oldgregg;23916038]you mad? wake up in the morning, open door. have some milk. feels good man[/QUOTE] Not feeling like P Diddy, I hope.
Free bottles of the queens milk mmmmm
[QUOTE=Pepsi-cola;23915000]I wouldn't mind if they scrapped it. Give them water.[/QUOTE] Water is nothing like as nutritional as milk.
[QUOTE=sp00ks;23913687]Why the hell does everyone think that you die if you don't drink milk. It's a stupid law.[/QUOTE] Milk is a good source of calcium, which is important for young children whose bones are still fusing and growing.
Meh. They would have done it if there hadn't been a media hype.
[QUOTE=Splurgy_A;23917581]Milk is a good source of calcium, which is important for young children whose bones are still fusing and growing.[/QUOTE] So is taking a calcium pill, and that doesn't make you fat.
[QUOTE=sp00ks;23919958]So is taking a calcium pill, and that doesn't make you fat.[/QUOTE] That doesn't go well with Coffee.
[QUOTE=sp00ks;23919958]So is taking a calcium pill, and that doesn't make you fat.[/QUOTE] Milk also contains vitamins, and studies suggest that the consumption of low-fat milk can decrease the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, colon cancer and obesity.
[QUOTE=sp00ks;23919958]So is taking a calcium pill, and that doesn't make you fat.[/QUOTE] Hey let's get our kids popping pills This won't form any habits.
[QUOTE=Capitulazyguy;23921377]Hey let's get our kids popping pills This won't form any habits.[/QUOTE] Taking pills isn't a problem, taking harmful pills are. You also think antibiotics are bad if they're in pill form. Or vitamins.
[QUOTE=sp00ks;23924343]Taking pills isn't a problem, taking harmful pills are. You also think antibiotics are bad if they're in pill form. Or vitamins.[/QUOTE] I didn't mean habits as in drugs, I meant as in the idea that everything can be solved through a quick fix, whether it's a pill or a fad diet or whatever.
[QUOTE=sp00ks;23919958]So is taking a calcium pill, and that doesn't make you fat.[/QUOTE] What do you think is more expensive to organise - free milk, or free calcium pills?
[QUOTE=Camundongo;23920368]Milk also contains vitamins, and studies suggest that the consumption of low-fat milk can decrease the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, colon cancer and obesity.[/QUOTE] Soya milk is better.
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