Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to improve access to gluten-free staple foods for patients with coeliac disease by (a) improving the availability of those foods on prescription and (b) providing financial support to assist patients on obligatory gluten-free diets.

The national prescribing position in England remains that gluten free bread and mixes can be provided to all coeliac patients on a National Health Service prescription, and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in part XV of the Drug Tariff. This means that prescribers can issue NHS prescriptions based on the individual preferences of their patients, while also being mindful of which product best suits the patient’s dietary needs.

I recognise the pressures people are facing with the rising cost of living. Our extensive arrangements to help people afford NHS prescription charges means that almost 89% of prescription items in England are already provided free of charge. For those who are not exempt from charges, pre-payment certificates can be used to cap costs at just over £2 a week for regular prescriptions.