Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what independent evaluation his Department has commissioned on the effect of the Autism Awareness programme.

The Autism Alliance UK was awarded work on Autism Awareness following an open competition. The initial stage of this work will be reviewed next month, along with how funding has been spent, by the Department and independent representatives including a person who has autism. The Autism Alliance will also commission an independent evaluation. Recommendations will then be made to Ministers on how this work could be taken forward, including its reach and scope, in the remainder of 2015/16.