Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder among care experienced people; and what steps he is taking in response to that matter.

We have regular discussions with the Department for Education on a range of issues. The Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England and local commissioners continue to raise awareness and education on the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant.

No specific assessment has been made on the prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) among care experienced people. However, we have asked National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce a Quality Standard in England for FASD to improve the diagnosis and care of those affected.

In 2020/21, the Government funded five voluntary organisations to support grassroots initiatives to prevent cases of FASD, raise awareness among professionals and help improve support for those living with its consequences. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) provides families whose children have left care through adoption or special guardianship with access to funding for a specialist assessment and therapeutic support.  An ASF specialist assessment may assess FASD as part of a wider assessment of a child’s needs. The ASF does not fund standalone FASD assessments.