Written question asked by Nigel Griffiths (Labour) on Monday, 7 December 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 December 2009. It was answered by Phil Hope (Labour) on Monday, 14 December 2009 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Autism

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements his Department has made to involve external stakeholders in the post-consultation development of the Government's autism strategy.

Answer: From the outset, the development of the autism strategy for adults has been underpinned by the two principles of co-production and inclusivity. The public consultation on the strategy was designed to ensure that people with Autistic Spectrum Condition, their families and carers could identify the barriers to access and their key priorities for change in public services.The consultation which included regional events, on-line discussion forums and targeted engagement, aimed at hard-to-reach groups, received over 1,000 responses. These responses will set the direction of travel for the Autism Strategy.The strategy will continue to benefit from the work of its external reference group comprising service users, family carers and the voluntary sector providers as well as professionals who design, develop and provide services.There will be a further national consultation on the health and social care guidance, mandated by the legislation, which will accompany the strategy and is scheduled for publication in December 2012. We are equally committed to involving service users, carers and the voluntary sector in the production of the guidance.The third sector, including user-led organisations, has a critical role to play as ambassadors for the strategy, supporting not just design but also delivery.

Secondary information