AN East Lancashire MP has won his battle to save free school milk. Lindsay Hoyle was appalled when a government-commissioned report recommended abandoning the one third of a pint of milk given to all children in their first three years of primary school.

He put down a Commons motion, lobbied ministers and secured a special half-hour debate.

But now the Chorley MP has received a letter from Farming Minister Lord Bach agreeing to keep school milk for children up to the age of seven.

Lord Bach said that ministers in the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs, the Department for Education and Skills, and the Department of Health had considered the report they had commissioned.

However, they had come to the conclusion that despite its recommendations the benefits of school milk to primary schoolchildren were too great and therefore its provision for the first three years of a child's school life would remain.

Mr Hoyle said: "I am absolutely delighted.

"I was horrified when the report suggested scrapping it.

"It would have been bad news for the children who drink it and bad news for the farmers who provide it.

"It would have been a double blow. But now Lord Bach has confirmed it will remain, I am wondering whether to go ahead with the debate or not.

"I might do so in order to congratulate the Government on this decision and also to ask for free milk to be extended to all primary schoolchildren as it would have benefits for older pupils."