Joint statement:
Today the Government has responded to the House of Lords’ report, ‘Time to deliver: the Autism Act and the new autism strategy’. As the autism charity sector, we stand together to say the Government’s response is unacceptable.
We see no evidence that the Government intends to develop a new national autism strategy, or do anything meaningful in compliance with the Autism Act or in response to the House of Lords inquiry. Despite the legal requirement and the expiry of the existing strategy in June, no timeline is provided.
Vague commitments will do nothing to address the real barriers autistic people face. Rather than acting on the House of Lords Committee’s clear recommendations, the Government’s response focuses on existing initiatives such as the NHS 10-Year Plan, which makes no mention of autistic people in its 171 pages. Once again, autism is lost in generic strategies, despite clear evidence of the distinct risks autistic people face and the need for specific, targeted, joined-up action. The House of Lords’ report articulates these risks powerfully.
The Autism Act inquiry received more written evidence than any House of Lords inquiry ever, demonstrating the strength of public feeling and the depth of lived experience available. Yet the Government’s response shows little understanding of the need to engage fully and meaningfully with autistic people and their families. References to community engagement in the Government’s response are conditional and dismissive.
Every day the Government delays meaningful action, autistic children, young people and adults will continue to face shorter life expectancy, higher risk of suicide, mental health crisis, exclusion from education, family breakdown, long-term confinement in mental health hospitals, and one of the lowest employment rates of any group in society. These outcomes are shameful.
We need to be very clear.
- Not developing a new National Autism Strategy is a breach of statutory process. The Autism Act 2009 requires the Government to have a strategy and revise it.
- This was the moment for the Government to step up and show that it cares about autistic people and their families. By failing to do so, it is sending the opposite message and condemning autistic people to a continuation of the last 16 years of failure. This will be remembered when new policies are revealed on SEND, employability, and welfare.
- Harm is happening now. Autistic children, young people and adults have faced, and continue to face, systemic exclusion across society and public services. Failing to address this harm is a dereliction of responsibility and cannot go unchallenged.
We are ready to work with the Government to make this right.
