Skip to content
Get Involved
Volunteer
Your voice in Parliament

Your voice in Parliament

Coeliac UK works to influence policy makers across the UK to bring about positive change for people with coeliac disease. Be it through face to face meetings, briefing documents or reports, we work across each of the UK’s national parliaments, using the latest research and the lived experience of our community, to make the case for change.

In recent years, the charity has expanded our public affairs activity engaging with more parliamentarians and government Ministers than ever before. We have written to Ministers of Health in each of the four UK nations highlighting the challenge of diagnosis and supporting the development of patient pathways to achieve improved diagnosis. We host regular face to face events in the national parliaments and work with champions across the UK to raise parliamentary questions and champion the concerns facing our community. We do all this to ensure that your voice is heard in the halls of power.

Houses of Parliament, Westminster

The Houses of Parliaments in Westminster is the seat of the UK Government. Made up of the House of Lords and House of Commons, it is responsible for making laws, scrutinising the government and debating important issues. Coeliac UK works hard to ensure the interests of people with coeliac disease are reflected by those that make decisions in the heart of power.

 

Our recent activity

Westminster day of action

In March 2025, the charity delivered a petition in support of gluten free prescribing signed by more than 22,000 people. Part of the charity’s cost of living campaign, the petition hand in was supported by MPs, volunteers and healthcare professionals from across the country. The Westminster day of action also included a parliamentary reception in the House of Lords and a rally in Parliament Square.

All Party Parliamentary Group on Coeliac disease

The charity supported the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on coeliac disease to launch an inquiry looking at the barriers to diagnosis of coeliac disease, drawing on expert testimony from clinicians, researchers and patients from across the UK. The group published its report at an event in Westminster in September 2023 and it was shared with policy makers and the government.

General election 2024

In the lead up to the General Election 2024, Coeliac UK published our own manifesto, laying out what we’d like the next Government to do in support of people with coeliac disease across the UK. You can read it here.

Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament

The Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru makes laws for the people of Wales in a number of devolved areas including health, education and food.

The charity regularly engages with parliamentarians and the Welsh Government on a range of issues. In 2024, we launched our Call to Action at our Coeliac Awareness Month reception in the Senedd. We met with politicians from all the Senedd parties as part of Awareness Month activities in 2025.

Read the English language report here. Lawrlwytho fersiwn Cymraeg yma.

Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament makes laws for the people of Scotland in a number of devolved areas including health, education and food.

We work with Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) from across the political spectrum raising the challenge of underdiagnosis of coeliac disease, including written questions to Scottish Government and a Motion to Parliament in support of better diagnosis signed by more than 20 MSPs. We continue to press the Scottish Government for the roll out of the Scottish coeliac pathway across the country.

You can read our Diagnosis Call to Action for Scotland here.

The Northern Ireland Assembly

The Northern Irish Assembly makes laws for the people of Northern Ireland in a number of devolved areas including health, education and food.

We regularly work with Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from across the political spectrum to raise awareness of the challenges facing the coeliac community. In recent years, we’ve written to policy makers on the issue of underdiagnosis of coeliac disease and met with officials from the Department of Health. You can read our Northern Ireland Call to Action here.

Our recent activity

Senedd Cymru Cross Party Group on Coeliac Disease

Coeliac UK provides the secretariat to the Cross Party Group on Coeliac Disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis. Made up of Members of the Senedd (MS), healthcare professionals and Coeliac UK members, the group is chaired by Rhun Ap Iorwerth MS and meets regularly to drive policy solutions to issues facing people with coeliac disease in Wales.

Stormont Awareness Month Reception

In May 2025, we hosted a parliamentary event in Stormont to mark Coeliac Awareness Month. Hosted by Colin McGrath MLA, the event was well attended, with local volunteers and dietitians from the dietetic network present, alongside Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Sinn Fein, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and, Alliance and People Before Profit, showing their support. Plans are in place for a debate in the assembly in the autumn.

Holyrood Parliamentary Reception

Coeliac UK will again be visiting the Scottish Parliament to raise awareness of the challenge of underdiagnosis of coeliac disease. The reception, taking place in November, will bring together policy makers, patients and clinicians as they look at what the Scottish Government can do to improve much needed diagnosis for the 30,000 people with undiagnosed coeliac disease across Scotland.

Read our reports

APPG on Coeliac Disease – diagnosis report

The Westminster All-Party Parliamentary group on coeliac held an inquiry into the underdiagnosis of coeliac disease. Read its findings here.

Coeliac UK's Cost of Living report

Read our latest report into the true cost of gluten free food.

Scottish Parliament

More than 30,000 people in Scotland are living with undiagnosed coeliac disease. Read our report here.

Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament (English)

20,000 people in Wales have undiagnosed coeliac disease. Read our Senedd Cymru report here.

Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament (Cymraeg)

Mae gan 20,000 o bobl yng Nghymru glefyd coeliag heb ei ddiagnosio. Lawrlwytho fersiwn Cymraeg yma.

Northern Ireland Assembly

10,000 people in Northern Ireland are living with undiagnosed coeliac disease. Read our report here.