To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 965W, on allergies: consultants, what steps he plans to take to inform primary care staff of the National Occupational Standards on Allergy developed by Skills for Health. (291337)

The National Occupational Standards on Allergy developed by Skills for Health are available on the Skills for Health website at:

www.skillsforhealth.org.uk

Guidance setting out their use is also freely available to employers organisations and staff across the sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2009, Official Report, column 685W, on allergies, whether his Department has taken steps to increase the number of posts advertised in open recruitment for entry into allergy. (291338)

Pursuant to the answer given on 7 July 2009, no additional posts have been established by the Department for open recruitment into allergy. The Department created an additional five centrally funded allergy training posts and five immunology posts in 2007. The national health service and deaneries are responsible for establishing whether there is a local need to commission more local training posts.