Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to improve the level of support for children and young people diagnosed with pica.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Epsom and Ewell on 16 April 2026 to Question 123049.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve the level of awareness and understanding of pica among NHS healthcare professionals.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Epsom and Ewell on 16 April 2026 to Question 123049.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of employment support for young autistic and ADHD people who are not in education, employment or training but do not meet the threshold for intensive specialist employment support.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Department provides a range of employment support for autistic and ADHD people, including those who require ongoing practical support to obtain and sustain employment.

Our specialist, voluntary, Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, is for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing non-health related barriers to work. Connect to Work has a specialist pathway for neurodivergent and learning-disabled participants, using the well-evidenced Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF). The programme is locally led and will support around 300,000 people by the end of the decade.

In Jobcentres around 1,000 (full time equivalent) Pathways to Work Advisers, provide personalised one-to-one support to disabled and neurodivergent customers, and those with health conditions to help customers identify and overcome obstacles which may stop them from moving towards or into work or to access employment and wider skills support, and our employment programmes.

Practical workplace support is also available through Access to Work, a demand-led, personalised discretionary grant delivered across Great Britain. It supports workplace adjustments that go beyond an employer’s responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. The scheme is available to people with disabilities or health conditions, including neurodivergent conditions, where these affect their ability to work.

Alongside support for individuals, DWP administers the GB-wide Disability Confident scheme, encouraging employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. It provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.

In 2025, DWP launched an independent advisory panel of academics with expertise and lived experiences of neurodiversity to consider the reasons why neurodivergent people often have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. DWP has received a final version of the Panel’s report which will be published alongside our response in due course. In addition, between January and March this year, DWP funded the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to run a limited series of neurodivergence masterclasses for employers to attend free of charge. This was to address employer and line manager skill and confidence in recruiting and supporting neurodivergent individuals at work. Over 1,800 representatives of employers attended these masterclasses.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether autistic people with lived experience of claiming benefits were directly involved in the design, testing or delivery of the Department's autism-related training for staff; and if he will publish details of the organisations and individuals consulted.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

All assessment suppliers are required to ensure that their health professionals (HPs) carrying out assessments have training and knowledge of the clinical aspects and likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments.

From 9 September 2024 the educational material for all Health Assessment Advisory Service HPs has been provided by DWP. As part of our review, we identified best practice in the NHS and have implemented the Oliver McGowan training, which is fully supported by autistic people with lived experience, as part of the mandatory training requirements for every HP. This training is recognised to be of significant value to HPs in ensuring they have the skills and knowledge to provide safe, informed, and compassionate assessments to claimants with autism and learning disabilities.

In addition, HPs have access to a wide range of Core Training and Guidance Materials (CTGM). These resources offer detailed clinical and functional information, including the potential risks and limitations of a range of conditions, including autism, to support HPs in delivering informed assessments. Following the transfer of responsibilities to DWP in September 2024, all training and guidance materials are currently undergoing a comprehensive review and update. A newly established team is leading this work, ensuring that all materials are aligned with national best practice standards. To support this, independent clinical experts are being engaged to provide external quality assurance, helping to ensure the accuracy, relevance, and consistency of the content.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of employment support for autistic and ADHD adults who are capable of work but require ongoing practical support with (a) executive functioning, (b) communication, (c) task initiation and (d) anxiety management to obtain and sustain employment.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Department provides a range of employment support for autistic and ADHD people, including those who require ongoing practical support to obtain and sustain employment.

Our specialist, voluntary, Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, is for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing non-health related barriers to work. Connect to Work has a specialist pathway for neurodivergent and learning-disabled participants, using the well-evidenced Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF). The programme is locally led and will support around 300,000 people by the end of the decade.

In Jobcentres around 1,000 (full time equivalent) Pathways to Work Advisers, provide personalised one-to-one support to disabled and neurodivergent customers, and those with health conditions to help customers identify and overcome obstacles which may stop them from moving towards or into work or to access employment and wider skills support, and our employment programmes.

Practical workplace support is also available through Access to Work, a demand-led, personalised discretionary grant delivered across Great Britain. It supports workplace adjustments that go beyond an employer’s responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. The scheme is available to people with disabilities or health conditions, including neurodivergent conditions, where these affect their ability to work.

Alongside support for individuals, DWP administers the GB-wide Disability Confident scheme, encouraging employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. It provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.

In 2025, DWP launched an independent advisory panel of academics with expertise and lived experiences of neurodiversity to consider the reasons why neurodivergent people often have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. DWP has received a final version of the Panel’s report which will be published alongside our response in due course. In addition, between January and March this year, DWP funded the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to run a limited series of neurodivergence masterclasses for employers to attend free of charge. This was to address employer and line manager skill and confidence in recruiting and supporting neurodivergent individuals at work. Over 1,800 representatives of employers attended these masterclasses.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the department has considered introducing or expanding a form of ongoing employment support for neurodivergent claimants which includes (a) identifying suitable vacancies, (b) assistance with applications, (c) support communicating with prospective employers and (d) regular follow-up to maintain progress towards employment.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Neurodivergent people can access a range of employment support to help them to find secure meaningful work, stay in work and progress in their career.

Our specialist programme, Connect to Work, has been designed using well-evidenced Supported Employment models. It is for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or complex non-health related barriers to work, and has a specific pathway for people who are neurodivergent. Participants are given a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who works alongside them to understand their career goals, help address barriers to employment and seek good labour market matches for participants. The advisor stays with them once in work, supporting both the participant and the employer and ensuring a successful start into work. In the South Midlands, participants can apply through the South Midlands Connect to Work webpage: Connect to Work – South Midlands Authorities.

There are also around 1,000 (full time equivalent) Pathways to Work Advisers in jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales, providing personalised one-to-one support to disabled customers and those with health conditions. Disability Employment Advisers also help work coaches and Pathways to Work Advisers to tailor their support to customers’ needs.

In England, the National Careers Service supports disabled adults and those with special educational needs as a priority group. People can access careers information and advice through the website, webchat and telephone line, as well as in-depth advice and guidance from professionally qualified careers advisers through the community-based offer.

As part of our plans to Get Britain Working, we are creating a Jobs and Careers Service, with an enhanced focus on skills and careers. Support will be more inclusive and tailored to individual needs to help people find, progress and stay in work. This includes our digital tools, known as the Work Hub, designed to help everyone access online support, including an online AI work assistant, CV builder and a new job search tool. We are also upskilling our colleagues to deliver high-quality, personalised employment support through our Get Britain Working Coaching Academy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that members of the public are able to identify and access appropriate legal advice and support where their needs cross different areas of the justice system, including criminal justice, family law and immigration; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of existing referral and signposting arrangements.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises that people often experience legal problems that cut across different parts of the justice system and is committed to ensuring that individuals can identify and access the support most appropriate to their needs.

The Government supports people to identify and access appropriate legal advice and support through the provision of legal aid, and by grant funding legal support. Legal Aid is the system of public funding to help meet the costs of legal advice, mediation and representation in a court or tribunal for those who are eligible. People can check their eligibility for legal aid and find legal aid advisers working in the areas of law relating to their legal problems, using the ‘Find a Legal Aid Adviser’ service on GOV.UK. Legal support services provide non-means tested information, informal advice and support to people seeking to resolve their legal issue. Individuals can seek information and support online via gov.uk and advicenow, which may signpost to other providers of legal support, including Citizens Advice, Law Centres, and local or specialist charities.

Anyone arrested and detained at a police station is entitled to free and independent legal advice and representation through the criminal legal aid scheme, regardless of their means.

The Government has invested £26 million in new funding for legal support grants, including £16 million for a new legal support grant launching on 1 October. The new grant will support frontline organisations across England and Wales to provide free information, support and guidance across a range of civil, family and tribunal issues, from early intervention to at-court assistance, while strengthening the national online support offer. These services frequently work in partnership with other organisations in the advice sector e.g CAB, enabling people with complex or multiple needs to be referred to more specialist support where required. Some current grant recipients have also used funding to strengthen referral and signposting arrangements between services.

As part of our work on legal support, we are working across Government and with the sector to understand the effectiveness of different delivery models and promote the use of the most effective ways to support people, including through the co-location of social welfare advice in various settings including health.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (No. 2)

National Suicide Memorial Day for Health and Care Workers

Prohibiting Members of Parliament from having paid second jobs