Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) medical researchers and (b) other professionals on trends in the level of severe allergies in children in the last 10 years; and steps his Department is taking to screen more children for severe allergies.

The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into all aspects of human health, including research into allergies. The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health. These are judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality, and the NIHR will work with researchers to facilitate the development of good-quality proposals that will move the evidence base forward.

An Expert Advisory Group for Allergy (EAGA) was established in 2023, and brings together key stakeholders, including clinical organisations, with the aim improving the quality-of-life of people with allergies. Chaired jointly by the Department and the National Allergy Strategy Group, the EAGA identifies priority areas for the Department, NHS England, and other Government departments and agencies relating to allergies that require policy change or development, and advises on how to best achieve improved outcomes.

The Department has also held a number of meetings with the National Allergy Research Foundation (NARF) to discuss both the research and policy aspects of allergies. The NARF is a charity with a mission to make allergy history through pioneering scientific and medical research, to change the lives of those living with allergies, starting with food allergies.

Blood and skin allergy tests can detect a patient's sensitivity to common allergens, including food allergens, and advice on the circumstances under which such tests should be offered are contained in the guidance, Food allergy in under 19s: assessment and diagnosis [CG116], published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The NICE maintains surveillance of new evidence that may affect its published guidance, and would consult on proposed changes if significant new evidence were to emerge.