Secret plans to ban free nursery milk have been blocked by Margaret Thatcher, nonetheless stung by being branded the 'Milk Snatcher' practically twenty years earlier.
The beforehand unknown suggestions made it to her desk in Might 1989 earlier than she demanded they be buried, Nationwide Archives recordsdata reveal.
As schooling secretary in Edward Heath's authorities, Mrs Thatcher's choice in 1970 to cease the supply of milk for junior college pupils led to her hated nickname.
She was subsequently livid when well being secretary Kenneth Clarke proposed to finish free welfare milk for youngsters in day care to avoid wasting £4million.
Secret plans to ban free nursery milk have been blocked by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (pictured)
The recordsdata present Mrs Thatcher slapped him down and the plans have been dropped, leaving Mr Clarke to retire 'damage' following the trade.
An official wrote to the PM: 'You will notice from Kenneth Clarke's minute... that he has determined to finish free welfare milk for youngsters in day care from the top of this college time period.'
In response she scrawled, 'NO,' underlining the phrase twice. 'It will trigger a horrible row - all for £4million.
'I do know - I went via it 19 years in the past. Any scheme for saving £400million or extra I'll have a look at. However not £4m.'
She additionally struck via a paragraph asking if she wished to know extra.
A suggestion that Mr Clarke won't announce the plans till after the European election met with the brusque remark: 'Or in any respect.'
A letter was then despatched on Mrs Thatcher's behalf to the Division of Well being, opening with an underlined assertion that stated: 'I needs to be grateful if you happen to and replica recipients may guarantee this letter is given solely a restricted circulation to named people.'
It continued: 'The Prime Minister is extraordinarily involved in regards to the proposal to finish free welfare milk for youngsters in day care from the top of this college time period, which she thinks could be liable to trigger a really nice row.
'She would subsequently be grateful in case your Secretary of State may rethink the place.'
Mr Clarke responded: 'I've accomplished so and now settle for that it will not be prudent to proceed with abolition as and when proposed.'
An official famous: 'Prime Minister! Your phrases have been heeded. Content material to notice that Mr Clarke has retired damage?!'
The unique proposal from Mr Clarke acknowledged: 'The current laws present that any little one below 5 attending a day nursery or registered childminder can obtain a 3rd of a pint of milk a day.
Ladies on the Henry Maynard Junior Faculty in Walthamstow, London, ingesting milk which Mrs Thatcher tried to ban when she was schooling secretary
'This is applicable no matter household want or earnings and is a hangover from the times when all kids in state faculties acquired such milk.'
It concluded: 'The scheme is an more and more costly anomaly and though will probably be a delicate difficulty with some Native Authorities and voluntary our bodies and trigger a ritual row with the Opposition I consider it's proper to finish it.'
The report into the cash spent on college catering, the place the proposal began, famous: 'The Authorities intention is that the speed of spending on meals and milk needs to be halved. There are undoubtedly substantial financial savings to be made.'
These included decreasing the price of meals by slicing down on employees, decreasing pupil subsidies, decreasing the variety of free pupil meals and the variety of free grownup meals for varsity employees.
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