Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve support for people with hearing loss in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service audiology services are locally commissioned, and the responsibility for meeting the needs of non-hearing people lies with local NHS commissioners.
We expect local commissioning to be informed by the best available evidence, relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, and guidance issued by NHS England. In July 2016, NHS England published the report ‘Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups’. This framework supports integrated care boards in England to make informed decisions on maximising value for local populations and provide consistent, high quality, integrated care. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services. In 2018, the NICE issued the guidance ‘Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management' which aims to improve hearing loss services.
Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. NHS England is rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a patient and their adjustment needs, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately. Guidance and free training on the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag is available for health and social care staff.
In addition, all NHS organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. NHS England published a revised AIS on 30 June 2025 and is working to support its implementation with awareness raising, communication and engagement, and a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS.
Asked by: Sonia Kumar (Labour - Dudley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure mental health support is provided to adults with autism and special needs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers by the end of this Parliament, to help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of (a) the number of people with additional needs awaiting a Specialised Supported Housing home and (b) the estimated cost r of housing people with additional needs in unsuitable accommodation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In November 2024, my department published independent research on supported housing supply, demand, funding and commissioning across Great Britain – which can be found here. The published research report included coverage of working-age adults with learning disabilities, autistic people, and people with mental health needs.
The research estimated that in 2023 there were 53,000 units of supported housing serving working-age adults with a learning disability and/or autism in England, and 19,000 units for working-age adults with mental health needs. The report noted that half of local commissioners surveyed who responded said that there was a lot of or some unmet demand for working-age adults with a learning disability and/or autism, and that almost two-thirds of commissioners thought there was some or a lot of unmet need for supported housing for working-age adults with mental health needs.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of adults with a learning disability are registered on the learning disability register in (a) England (b) each region of England.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work is currently underway in NHS England to encourage children and young people to join the learning disability register at the age of 14 years old, and to support people who do not have a confirmed learning disability diagnosis to access the register and appropriate services.
NHS England has published guidance to support general practitioners (GPs) in identifying people with a learning disability. People with a learning disability are identified using specific codes within a patient record which are then grouped into a ‘code cluster’. Further information on the guidance is avaiable at the following link:
The learning disability register code cluster includes conditions and diagnoses that are highly likely to indicate that a person has a learning disability. Code cluster contents are dynamic and are updated regularly to account for new content. The latest cluster contents can be found in the Primary Care Domain Reference Set Portal, with further information available at the following link:
In addition, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently wrote to GPs, emphasising the importance of the learning disability register and providing high quality annual health checks.
As part of efforts to monitor uptake, NHS England data shows that, as of October 2025, there were 343,520 people aged 14 years old and over with a learning disability on the learning disability register in England. The following table shows the number of people on the learning disability register in each region of England:
Region | Register size age 14 years old and over |
London | 46,823 |
South West | 35,950 |
South East | 50,528 |
Midlands | 67,118 |
East of England | 38,983 |
North West | 43,676 |
North East and Yorkshire | 60,442 |
Source: NHS England published data on the Learning Disability Health Check Scheme for October 2025, a copy of which is attached.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to help increase the uptake of registration on the learning disability register.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work is currently underway in NHS England to encourage children and young people to join the learning disability register at the age of 14 years old, and to support people who do not have a confirmed learning disability diagnosis to access the register and appropriate services.
NHS England has published guidance to support general practitioners (GPs) in identifying people with a learning disability. People with a learning disability are identified using specific codes within a patient record which are then grouped into a ‘code cluster’. Further information on the guidance is avaiable at the following link:
The learning disability register code cluster includes conditions and diagnoses that are highly likely to indicate that a person has a learning disability. Code cluster contents are dynamic and are updated regularly to account for new content. The latest cluster contents can be found in the Primary Care Domain Reference Set Portal, with further information available at the following link:
In addition, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently wrote to GPs, emphasising the importance of the learning disability register and providing high quality annual health checks.
As part of efforts to monitor uptake, NHS England data shows that, as of October 2025, there were 343,520 people aged 14 years old and over with a learning disability on the learning disability register in England. The following table shows the number of people on the learning disability register in each region of England:
Region | Register size age 14 years old and over |
London | 46,823 |
South West | 35,950 |
South East | 50,528 |
Midlands | 67,118 |
East of England | 38,983 |
North West | 43,676 |
North East and Yorkshire | 60,442 |
Source: NHS England published data on the Learning Disability Health Check Scheme for October 2025, a copy of which is attached.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the final statutory guidance issued under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 includes explicit requirements for Down syndrome-specific training for professionals in health, education and social care sectors.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give statutory guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The consultation on the draft guidance was launched on 5 November 2025 and will remain open until 30 March 2026.
Relevant authorities, as defined in the schedule to the act, have a duty to have due regard to the final guidance once it is published. The act does not create any new functions beyond this duty. Rather, it brings together existing statutory requirements and guidance that relevant authorities must and/or should already be complying with to support people with Down syndrome and people with other conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs.
Under existing legislation, Care Quality Comision registered providers must ensure that staff receive appropriate professional development which is necessary for them to carry out their duties and must receive specific training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role, as per Section 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Section 181(7) of the Health and Care Act 2022 and Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We expect that providers should be considering whether specific training on Down syndrome is required for their staff, and the draft guidance under the Down Syndrome Act sets out that some staff who work frequently with people with Down syndrome may require additional training on Down syndrome.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on improving neurodevelopmental training for GPs on ADHD and autism across all ages.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.
All United Kingdom-registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners and must meet the standards set by the GMC.
The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement that all providers registered with the Care Quality Commission must ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, including GPs. To support this, a Code of Practice (Code) was published and finalised on 6 September 2025 setting out the Government’s expectations on training content and delivery. The Government is rolling out the recommended package, the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, to health and adult social care staff.
NHS England is in the process of awarding a tender to pilot a Neurodevelopmental Credential for Doctors regardless of their field of practice and this will be available to GPs. The aim is to provide a training option pre- and post-Certification of Completion of Training, so that eligible doctors can gain the necessary specialist skills to enable them to work effectively in the growing number of specialist services for people with neurodevelopmental conditions, as well as in settings where people with neurodevelopmental conditions are part of a complex clinical picture.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help close the gap in average life expectancy between those with a learning disability and those living without a learning disability.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the unacceptable health inequalities faced by people with a learning disability. We do not have comprehensive data on the life expectancy of people with a learning disability, broken down by gender and age, although we do have crucial insights into life and health outcomes which support service improvements.
in July 2025 NHS Digital published data on the mortality and life expectancy of people with a learning disability and autism which showed that people with a learning disability have a life expectancy at birth of 59.5 years old, compared to the general population life expectancy at birth of 81.4 years old, a difference of 21.9 years. These figures are based on data from April 2022 to March 2023, with further information avaiable at the following link:
Significant action is underway to improve access to and the quality of care for people with a learning disability, and to achieve the critical prevention shift set out in our 10-Year Health Plan. This includes mandatory training for health and social care staff, improving identification on the general practice learning disability register and uptake of annual health checks, and rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag to ensure that care is tailored appropriately. The national Core20Plus5 approach also guides action to tackle health inequalities at a system level, and NHS England expects learning disability to be identified as a priority cohort at a local level.
Furthermore, each integrated care board (ICB) must have an executive lead for learning disability and autism who will support the board in addressing health inequalities, support access to care across all health services, and improve overall health outcomes. Each ICB must also consider and demonstrate how they will reduce inequalities for people with a learning disability within their five‑year strategic plans under the Medium-Term Planning Framework. The Medium-Term Planning Framework is available at the following link:
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the life expectancy is of (a) women and (b) men of working age with a learning disability; and how does this compare with the life expectancy of people without a learning disability.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the unacceptable health inequalities faced by people with a learning disability. We do not have comprehensive data on the life expectancy of people with a learning disability, broken down by gender and age, although we do have crucial insights into life and health outcomes which support service improvements.
in July 2025 NHS Digital published data on the mortality and life expectancy of people with a learning disability and autism which showed that people with a learning disability have a life expectancy at birth of 59.5 years old, compared to the general population life expectancy at birth of 81.4 years old, a difference of 21.9 years. These figures are based on data from April 2022 to March 2023, with further information avaiable at the following link:
Significant action is underway to improve access to and the quality of care for people with a learning disability, and to achieve the critical prevention shift set out in our 10-Year Health Plan. This includes mandatory training for health and social care staff, improving identification on the general practice learning disability register and uptake of annual health checks, and rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag to ensure that care is tailored appropriately. The national Core20Plus5 approach also guides action to tackle health inequalities at a system level, and NHS England expects learning disability to be identified as a priority cohort at a local level.
Furthermore, each integrated care board (ICB) must have an executive lead for learning disability and autism who will support the board in addressing health inequalities, support access to care across all health services, and improve overall health outcomes. Each ICB must also consider and demonstrate how they will reduce inequalities for people with a learning disability within their five‑year strategic plans under the Medium-Term Planning Framework. The Medium-Term Planning Framework is available at the following link:
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to deliver the outstanding recommendations from Sir Stephen Bubb's report for the Public Accounts Select Committee, entitled Care services for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour, published On 23 March 2015.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Care services for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour was published for the Public Accounts Select Committee in 2015, under a previous administration. The Government is committed to reducing the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people in mental health inpatient settings and ensuring they receive the right support in the community which aligns with the recommendations set out in the report.
Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out to make three big shifts towards more preventative, digitally-enabled care, with more holistic, on-going support in the community to tackle health inequalities, including for disabled people. Our 2025 Mental Health Act will limit the scope to detain people with a learning disability and autistic people so that they can only be detained for treatment in a mental health hospital if they have a co-occurring mental disorder that requires hospital treatment. The act will also introduce measures to improve community support for people with a learning disability and autistic people by putting Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews and Dynamic Support Registers on a statutory footing and placing certain duties on integrated care boards and local authorities when exercising existing commissioning duties.
The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework 2026/27 to 2028/9 maintains a focus on improving mental health and learning disability care with an explicit objective to deliver a minimum 10% reduction in the use of mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people year-on-year.