Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has commissioned or conducted on allergic diseases.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds a wide range of research relating to allergic diseases through its programmes, fellowship schemes, research centres and units, clinical research facilities and the NIHR Clinical Research Network.

Major current investments include:

- £2.5 million for the South Manchester respiratory and allergy clinical research facility;

- £2.2 million for the research theme on environment, respiratory health and allergy at the biomedical research centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London;

- £1.9 million for a trial to determine whether skin barrier enhancement with emollients can prevent eczema in high risk children;

- £1.4 million for a trial of a behavioural change package to prevent hand dermatitis in nurses working in the NHS; and

- £1.3 million for a trial of the effectiveness of the nocturnal use of a temperature controlled laminar airflow device in adults with poorly-controlled, severe allergic asthma.