Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of integrated care boards' commissioning of autism services.

There are no current plans to make a specific assessment. The Health and Care Act 2022 builds on the work of non-statutory integrated care systems (ICSs) by establishing integrated care boards (ICBs) and requiring the creation of Integrated Care Partnerships. These provide the framework for more streamlined, integrated decision making.

We expect ICBs to have regard to the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning services, including autism services. Each ICB is also expected to have an Executive Lead for learning disability and autism to support the ICB in delivering care and support for autistic people in their area.

In addition, NHS England are developing a national framework which will support ICSs to make best use of resources to deliver improved outcomes in all age autism diagnostic care pathways.