Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of variations in levels of positive autism diagnoses at NHS foundation trusts.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessments and diagnoses, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England is aware of the variation between services that provide autism assessments in terms of the proportion of assessments which result in a diagnosis of autism. On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. In 2024/25, £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.