Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to support the establishment of charities that support people with learning disabilities working in communities throughout the UK.

Government departments do not establish charities, but do work with a wide range of organisations which are led by, represent or support disabled people, some of which are registered charities.

The Government is committed to enabling disabled people, including people with learning disabilities, to fulfil their potential and play a full role in society.

The Department for Work and Pensions is working with Mencap and the British Institute for Learning Disabilities to look at improving employment support for people with learning disabilities. Disabled People’s User Led Organisations (DPULOs) are run by and for disabled people. They have an important role in changing perceptions, giving disabled people a stronger voice, and providing peer support in areas such as social care, financial services, employment and volunteering. The Government is working to help strengthen existing disabled people’s user led organisations and help develop new ones. DPULOs in the United Kingdom have received funding for 178 projects from the DPULO programme; 13 of which are specifically for people with learning disabilities and a further 129 deal with a range of disabilities, including learning disabilities.

We will continue to work with all partners, including the voluntary sector, to change the culture and practice of services in order to improve the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities, including their employment.