Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will consider the introduction of mandatory autism awareness training for staff working in (a) HM Courts and Tribunals Service, (b) the police and (c) other areas of the criminal justice system.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of training and delegates responsibility for determining specific training needs to individual operational bodies. While autism awareness training is not currently mandatory, agencies across the justice system have the discretion to introduce such training based on operational requirements.

For example, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) provides access to a Diversity and Inclusion Learning Hub for all staff, as well as a Neurodiversity Line Managers’ Handbook to support understanding of neurodiverse conditions.

Any proposal to introduce mandatory autism awareness training within the Ministry of Justice would be subject to its Mandatory Learning Governance Process, which ensures consistent and robust decision-making through engagement with subject matter experts.

The Home Office is the Department with oversight of policing in England and Wales and is best placed to provide detailed information regarding autism training within police forces.