New Autism Strategy (Autism Act 2009 Committee Report)

Lord Sterling of Plaistow Excerpts

Wednesday 10th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Sterling of Plaistow (Con)]

My Lords, I thank your Lordships for allowing me to speak in the gap; it is much appreciated. I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Rock, for the opening address. I have two autistic grandchildren, and that is one of the things that has occupied a lot of my life during the time we have had them—they are wonderful. I very much thank the noble Lord, Lord Touhig, and the noble Baroness, Lady Browning, who have given me so much help over time.

I know the Minister cares about people. Care is a good word. It is not just about having a reason or a responsibility. Many things happen. I was very taken with the observation at the very beginning about people. Somebody who has played a very major part in what we are about is Professor Vivian Hill, whom many of your Lordships may know as one of the leading educational psychologists in the country. I have said many times—it is happening and the department is doing it—that we need hundreds of them to get on top of all the delays that your Lordships have talked about today.

I said several times, many years ago, that where SEND is concerned, every single head teacher must have a full SEND programme. It makes all the difference. The heads of all schools must have that. I have also suggested that it is very important indeed that everybody who is becoming a teacher should understand SEND—otherwise, nobody understands what a meltdown is all about.

I know I do not have enough time for this, but the people who suffer most, as I have seen, are the mothers. The mothers suffer hugely without very much help at all. I want to finish off by saying that, like those here, I have been to many schools, and we must do what we said we would do, care to do it and get on to do it. Over the generations, people who are autistic have been the best for music, science and all the other things that have helped the world for many centuries.

Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Reports

Lord Sterling of Plaistow Excerpts

Thursday 13th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I agree with the points that my noble friend raises. Indeed, local provision is the responsibility of local trusts. I assure him that a huge part of our work is about improving care pathways and seeing people as a whole person. Part of the failing previously, I think, has been not to see those with learning disabilities and/or autism as whole people with a range of needs, just like anyone else, with those needs being specific to them. Certainly, moving from hospital to community under the 10-year plan will be a great assistance in that.

[Lord Sterling of Plaistow (Con)]

My Lords, everybody knows that this subject is dear to the Minister’s heart but, from my experience over many years, the workforce gets very nervous of having disabled people working with them. Employers and other people will give support, but the employees themselves have to feel comfortable with having disabled people working alongside them. Is the Minister able to do something about that?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes good points and I am glad that he does so. I have just had a word with the Minister from the DWP, who has confirmed—I am sure that the noble Lord will welcome this—that the DWP is working with employers on this. I can also say that, among staff generally, over 3 million people have completed the first part of the Oliver McGowan mandatory training, which is the Government’s preferred package. I am sure—in fact, I know—that that training is making a considerable difference in meeting the point that the noble Lord raises.