Allergy Guidance for Schools

Debate between Damian Hinds and Shailesh Vara

Tuesday 21st May 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Schools (Damian Hinds)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Alicia Kearns) for bringing this debate to the Floor of the House. I greatly value the opportunity to hear her insights today and elsewhere on this important topic. I must first take a moment, as she did, in memory of Benedict Blythe, who died at his school in December 2021 aged just five years. I was saddened immensely to hear of that unimaginable tragedy, and I know that Members from all parts of the House join in offering our sincerest condolences to his family, to other families who have lost children in such circumstances and to those who have suffered what must be terrifying near misses. No parent should have to go through that.

Colleagues will appreciate that it would not be right or proper for me to comment on the details of Benedict’s individual case while we are awaiting the outcomes of the coroner’s inquest. I can confirm that last year officials from the Department for Education met Benedict’s mother, Helen Blythe, to hear about the important work she has led through the Benedict Blythe Foundation to raise awareness of how best to protect children with allergies. I echo the words that my hon. Friend used of Helen Blythe, speaking of her fortitude and strength. I commend Helen for those efforts and her commitment, and I commend parliamentarians who have supported this work—not only my hon. Friend, but my right hon. Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Shailesh Vara) and the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon).

When parents send their children to school, it is only right and natural that they expect them to be kept safe. For parents of children with allergies, there is that additional level of concern. Allergies can be complex conditions and can range enormously in severity. Although today we have been speaking mostly about food allergies, not all allergens are foods, which makes the issue more complicated again. Allergies themselves are therefore a highly individual and varied condition that require individualised responses. That is why the Government have put into place a number of pieces of legislation, as well as guidance to schools and parents covering a range of areas and circumstances. I have heard the calls to strengthen the law around allergies and references to voluntary approaches and voluntary guidance. I stress that section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a legal duty on schools to make arrangements for supporting pupils at their school with medical conditions, and that includes allergies.

[Shailesh Vara]

I know the Minister is diligent, conscientious and caring in all that he does, and the tone he is adopting clearly shows that. While he is absolutely right that there is legislation and guidance for schools as to how to deal with this issue, I and others would say that it is too general in nature, and it leaves much discretion with the schools as to what precisely they do in the event of a child having an allergic reaction. I urge him to reflect and to consider tightening the laws, so that they become mandatory. That should be in a limited way, but nevertheless we need some mandatory rules for schools, rather than them being left as general and vague as they are at present.

[Damian Hinds]

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend, and I acknowledge the gravity of what he says. Of course, we are talking about conditions that can be very varied, and the responses that are called for can be quite different. Schools know their pupils almost best; they, working with parents, who absolutely know their children best, are in the best place to enact that. I want to be clear that the guidance that accompanies what I have just been outlining is statutory guidance supporting pupils with medical conditions. It is not voluntary, and governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out their duties.