Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to establish specialist autism teams in each region of England to (a) diagnose and (b) support autistic people.

The NHS Long Term Plan, published on 7 January 2019, sets out National Health Service commitments to improve diagnosis and support for autistic people. The NHS Long Term Plan does not prescribe that there should be specialist autistic teams in each region of England to diagnose and support autistic people. However, the NHS Long Term Plan sets out clear commitments and support, including increased investment, for local areas to increase the range of support and care available to autistic people in their area including children and young people with the most complex needs and their families.