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 potential implications for his policies of responses to the consultation on the draft statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022.

Through the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, the Government is striving to improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome, raise awareness and understanding of their needs, and break down barriers to opportunity that they, and other disabled people, face.

The Down Syndrome Act 2022 requires my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on the actions they should be taking to support the needs of people with Down syndrome.

The public consultation on the draft guidance was launched on 5 November 2025 and will remain open until 30 March 2026. Once the consultation has closed, the Government will consider all consultation responses to inform the final guidance to be published.