§ Baroness Uddinasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will allocate the required funds to the National Autistic Society to assist in the Autism Awareness Year in 2002. [HL1116]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)There is an Autism Awareness week every year, currently held in May, promoted by the National Autistic Society (NAS). It is a matter for the NAS, along with others in the autism community, to decide whether they think holding an Autism Awareness Year in 2002 would be the best way forward.
§ Baroness Uddinasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have in place to improve data collection on all autistic children in the United Kingdom and to fund advocacy services. [HL1130]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathWe are examining a number of potential sources of health and social care data on autism. On a pilot basis, autism will be included in the next Children in Need Survey, to be carried out in the autumn. We also announced recently that we have asked the Medical Research Council to obtain a clear and comprehensive picture of the current knowledge about the incidence and prevalence of autism and how strong the evidence is which underpins that knowledge.
The Department for Education and Employment is conducting a special educational needs (SEN) pilot classifications study involving 200 schools. The SEN data collection pilot forms are due back from participating schools in April. The forms include various categories of special educational need that best describe a pupil's SEN one of which is autistic spectrum disorder.
Children with autism will benefit from the measures to improve services for all children. One of these is Quality Protects, the Government's five-year, £885 million programme to improve the management and delivery of services for children in need. The participation of children, young people and their families in the planning and delivery of services and in decisions about their day to day lives is one of the priority areas for grant within the programme. That would include the development of advocacy services: children with autism would be among those to benefit from such services.
Issues affecting people with autism in other parts of the United Kingdom are a matter for devolved administrations.