Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to mandate (a) allergy safety training, (b) the provision of spare epipens and (c) other allergy safety measures in schools.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.

In 2017 the Department of Health published non-statutory guidance confirming that schools are able to purchase spare adrenaline auto injectors (AAIs) from a pharmacy, without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation. This guidance is kept under review and gives clear advice to schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered for pupils in schools.