HC Deb 13 March 2002 vol 381 cc1110-1W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he is doing to encourage Autism Awareness year. [31887]

Ruth Kelly

[holding answer 1 February 2002]: I welcome the initiatives that aim to improve our knowledge and understanding of autism and raise awareness of the condition. I refer my hon. Friend to the replies given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Health on 8 January 2002, Official Report, columns 672–73W, and by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 239W, which set out the Government's support for this initiative. I have nothing to add to those replies.

1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01
Total 3,849 4,388 4,950 6,406 6,510
Of which aged 50 years and over 292 343 406 632 526
Of which below 50 years 3,557 4,045 4,544 5,774 5,984

Note:

Figures include HM Treasury, Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise, Office of Government Commerce, Debt Management Office, Royal Mint, Valuation Office, Government Actuary's Department, Department of National Savings and Investments, National Investments and Loans Office, Office of National Statistics and the Statistics Commission.