Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to consult autistic people on (a) the support that they receive and (b) its effect on their lives.

The Department is committed to ensuring autistic people are involved in the formation of policy and decision-making processes. To inform the development of the latest national autism strategy, published July 2021, we ran a national call for evidence where we engaged with autistic people and their families and sought their personal experiences and views.

This year, we are updating the Statutory Guidance on Autism to support the National Health Service and local authorities to deliver improved outcomes for autistic people. There will be a public consultation on this guidance, which will include giving autistic people, their families, and carers the opportunity to give their views.