Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they will ensure guidance for the Down Syndrome Act 2022 is compliant with the Equality Act 2010 in respect of other genetic conditions similarly profound in their impact, such as 22q deletion and duplication syndromes.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Down Syndrome Act does not remove the duties under the Equality Act 2010 for services to assess all the needs of people they provide support to, including those with genetic conditions such as 22q deletion and duplication syndromes. We are clear that prioritising funding or resources for people with Down syndrome above other groups without proper assessment of people’s needs would be unlawful.
We recognise that there are overlaps between the services that support people with Down syndrome and those that support people with other genetic conditions and/or a learning disability. The Down Syndrome Act guidance will focus on the unique support needs of people with Down syndrome. We will, however, highlight where best practice in service delivery would also be applicable to those with another genetic condition and/or a learning disability, including DiGeorge syndrome (22q11.2 deletion syndrome) and duplication syndromes.
An Equality Impact Assessment will be carried out on the draft guidance once produced to ensure it does not disadvantage certain groups relative to others. There will be a full public consultation on the draft guidance. The guidance will make clear the requirements on relevant authorities in respect of the Equality Act.
Dec. 21 2023
Source Page: Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill: consultationFound: These laws include the Autism Act 2009 and Down Syndrome Act 2022.
Mentions:
1: Liam Fox (Con - North Somerset) Tomorrow is World Down Syndrome Day. - Speech Link
2: Rishi Sunak (Con - Richmond (Yorks)) Friend for his dedicated work to pass the Down Syndrome Act. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab - Life peer) Minister tell me why that is, and when will the Government insist that the NHS gets the variation of care down - Speech Link
2: Lord Markham (Con - Life peer) screening—which can tell with 90% sensitivity whether you have inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome - Speech Link
3: Lord Markham (Con - Life peer) Irritable bowel syndrome is suffered by about 10% of the population while inflammatory bowel disease—we - Speech Link
4: Lord Markham (Con - Life peer) real thing here is the difference between the 10% of the population who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome - Speech Link
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022 fits with their wider strategy for supporting people affected by disabilities.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made. Under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 we will be developing guidance for relevant authorities focused on how to meet the unique support needs of people with Down syndrome but which highlights where best practice in service delivery would also be applicable to those with another genetic condition and/or a learning disability. There will be a full public consultation once a draft of the guidance has been produced.
The Act will help achieve the Government’s wider commitment to improving outcomes for disabled people. In December 2022, Minister Pursglove, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, announced a new Disability Action Plan (DAP) which will be consulted on and published this year. The Government will consider all responses to the consultation carefully before publishing the final DAP.
This Plan will set out the practical action planned across government over the next two years to improve disabled people’s lives. The Plan will lay out joint action government departments can take to make a tangible difference to disabled people’s lives in the immediate term, as well as where we can make meaningful progress towards a longer-term goal, for example improved disability data and evidence.
Dec. 21 2023
Source Page: Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill: consultationFound: In England there is the Down Syndrome Act 2022. 6 The Down Syndrome Act 2022 is not yet
Mentions:
1: Christina Rees (LAB - Neath) charges, including MS, endometriosis, inflammatory bowel disease, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome - Speech Link
2: Preet Kaur Gill (LAB - Birmingham, Edgbaston) or polycystic ovary syndrome, the struggle of living with chronic anxiety or depression, or the fatigue - Speech Link
3: Andrea Leadsom (Con - South Northamptonshire) We remain committed to bringing down the employment gap for people with long-term conditions, and we - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Patel (XB - Life peer) In those cases, things such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is a long-term viral fatigue syndrome, - Speech Link
2: Lord Markham (Con - Life peer) Deaths from heart disease among those under 75 are down by about 20% compared with 2010, which is a clear - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Ewing, Annabelle (SNP - Cowdenbeath) members’ business debate on motion S6M-10702, in the name of Clare Adamson, on complex regional pain syndrome - Speech Link
2: Mackay, Rona (SNP - Strathkelvin and Bearsden) The three clinical stages of type 1 complex regional pain syndrome are? - Speech Link
3: Callaghan, Stephanie (SNP - Uddingston and Bellshill) I, too, thank Clare Adamson for securing such a vital debate on complex regional pain syndrome, which - Speech Link
4: Minto, Jenni (SNP - Argyll and Bute) Annie Wells wrote down the same words as I did: brave, emotional and personal. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Alec Shelbrooke (Con - Elmet and Rothwell) It always comes down to a lack of education and knowledge, and not understanding situations. - Speech Link
2: Damian Hinds (Con - East Hampshire) on menstrual and gynaecological health, now specifically including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome - Speech Link
3: Damian Hinds (Con - East Hampshire) on menstrual and gynaecological health, now specifically including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome - Speech Link
4: Alec Shelbrooke (Con - Elmet and Rothwell) Will the education about endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome and so on in key stage 3 take place - Speech Link