Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that references to learning disability and support needs in the draft statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 reflect the needs profile of people with Down syndrome.

Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give statutory guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The consultation on the draft guidance was launched on 5 November 2025 and will remain open until 30 March 2026.

The draft guidance has been informed by over 1,500 responses to the call for evidence in 2022. A summary of these findings was published on 5 November 2025. In developing the draft guidance, the Department for Health and Social Care engaged with NHS England and all relevant Government departments, including the Department for Education. Officials also engaged with people with Down syndrome and those with other conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs, and their parents and carers, as well as experts and practitioners from multiple sectors, to ensure the guidance is robust, evidence-based and fit for purpose.

Based on what we were told during the call for evidence and subsequent engagement, a needs profile paper has also been developed which sets out the specific needs of people with Down syndrome. The needs paper, which has been published alongside the consultation, was used to inform the development of the draft guidance.