No beef for half London schoolkids
13 December 1999
No beef for half London schoolkids
By FWi staff
ITS not just the French who dont want British beef – more than half of Londons councils are still refusing to serve British beef in school, it has emerged.
A questionnaire in Barnet showed only 14% of parents wanted beef in schools and 60% were opposed to the idea, according to the Evening Standard.
“Parents have told us they want the ban to remain in force, and we will abide by the wishes of parents,” said Anne Jarvis, Barnet education chairman.
In other local authorities, even where beef is back on the menu, it is often in a very limited way. Wandsworth, for instance, still refuses to serve mince.
But London is such a big urban area that people there still dont understand that British beef is finally safe from BSE, said the Meat and Livestock Commission.
Londoners are farthest from the realities of meat production and either “dont understand” or ban beef for political reasons, said an MLC spokesman.
“I feel sad for the kids who are denied a choice. But we cant force them.”
The spokesman said the MLC was willing to talk and provide information, but had no real plans to tackle the London authorities refusing to serve beef.
Outside London, the situation seems to be improving, however. Only 34 out of 234 education authorities have not yet put British beef back on the menu.
In Wales, only one authority has yet to lift the ban. In Scotland, every pupil has the opportunity to eat beef, which is on the menu in every education authority.