Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to introduce a central employment forum for people on the Autistic Spectrum, to match skill sets and employer needs.

We have no plans to introduce a central employment forum for people on the Autistic Spectrum. However, Disability Confident employers who use the Find a Job service to advertise jobs can now add a searchable Disability Confident tag to their vacancies. This allows disabled people to find Disability Confident employers who are offering jobs that match their skills. Over 10,500 employers have signed up to Disability Confident, and their number continues to grow.

Overall, improving employment opportunities for people with learning difficulties, including those on the Autism Spectrum, disability is a Government priority. We take a life course approach, working with other Departments to tackle barriers to employment that start early in life.

For example:

• DWP is exploring ways to improve our support to this group through a Local Supported Employment proof of concept, which is being tested in nine local authorities.
• The new Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, which is rolling out this year, will provide highly personalised packages of employment support for people who are at least a year away from moving into work, including those with the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

We are also running a number of local initiatives in jobcentres, such as:

• Calm and Quiet sessions in North London, where autistic people and their family members or carers have an opportunity to discuss with trained staff opportunities to move into or towards employment.
• In Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, we have contracted with two local organisations to provide 40 places each to support autistic people in developing employment skills, giving careers advice based on local demographics and the individual's employment expectations.