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2.16 Deputy G.P. Southern of the Chief Minister regarding discussions with pupils of F.C.J. Primary School regarding school milk:
Will the Chief Minister inform Members what he said to the pupils of FCJ Primary
School when he met them to explain his decision to stop the funding for their school
milk?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur (The Chief Minister):
The report in the Jersey Evening Post on 8th March 2011 is an accurate report on my visit to the pupils at FCJ. In that report, I was correctly quoted as explaining to pupils that, in the States, we often had to make difficult decisions which did not please everyone but the States made a democratic choice.
- Deputy G.P. Southern :
In explaining the difficulties of making the decision, did the Chief Minister point out that what he chose to spend his money on rather than school milk was £400,000 to Jersey Finance to increase their activities which could have paid for school milk for 3 years?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
What I pointed out to them - and remember they were 4 or 5 year-olds - was that the States acted as a democracy - although I tried to use a simpler word than "democracy" - and that that it was a majority of States Members who decided, not myself.
- The Deputy of St. John :
Given that, can the Minister confirm that various States departments receive milk on a daily basis and does his department or the Treasury Department pick up the bill for all this milk that is delivered to States departments and, if so, would that money not be better spent on giving it to our children?
The Bailiff :
I am not entirely sure what to make of the question. Anyway, Chief Minister, it is to do with milk, I suppose.
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
It is to do with milk. I have no idea what arrangements departments make in respect of milk for their departments. That is to me effectively a separate matter.
- Deputy G.P. Southern :
Did the Minister, in addition, talk about the positive contribution that milk makes to a balanced diet and point out that milk was an improvement on coming to school with a bag of crisps and a can of coke?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
This sounds like a promotion or rehearsal for a forthcoming proposition from the
Deputy on reinstatement of milk, but I did discuss with the children the benefits of a
balanced healthy diet and I did ascertain that the majority of the pupils in that class did have milk before they came to school in terms of their porridge or cereal or other breakfast meal. So I have no doubt that they do have the relevant intake of calcium which they need and they have it in an appropriate way.
- Deputy G.P. Southern :
A supplementary if I may, Sir, since the Chief Minister has strayed on to the grounds. Is the Chief Minister confident that a reaction similar to the opinion that he got that the majority of the students had already had some milk that day would be found in all of the schools, particularly in the towns?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
I have no idea. I was reporting on what discussions I had with the pupils at FCJ Primary School.