Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing local clinical and social services leads to embed co-ordinated pathways for families who have children with specific diagnoses relating to (a) neurodiversity conditions and (b) mental and physical health and learning disability challenges.

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Children and Families Act 2014, commissioners are responsible for ensuring the provision of services based on the local needs of their population. Local commissioners should have due regard to the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, when commissioning these services. In 2021/22, we have provided £1.25 million to recruit local autism and learning disability champions to embed high quality and accessible autism and learning disability services in integrated care systems. We have also invested £7 million through the COVID-19 Mental Health and Wellbeing Recovery Action Plan and NHS Long Term Plan to help regions test and improve diagnostic and post-diagnostic pathways for autism in 2021/22.