Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to reduce the risk of suicide for autistic people, as set out in the fourth progress report of the cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives.

In March, we published ‘Preventing suicide in England: fifth progress report of the cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives’. It includes an update on work across the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement to reduce suicide rates amongst groups with specific needs and characteristics that may expose them to more risk factors for suicide, including autism.

This work includes NHS England and NHS Improvement’s refreshed approach to the Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme, ‘Learning from lives and deaths - people with a learning disability and autistic people’. The LeDeR aims to improve care, reduce heath inequalities and prevent premature mortality of people with a learning disability and autistic people by reviewing information about the health and social care support that people received.

We also published the Mental Health and Wellbeing Recovery Plan, setting out our response to the mental health impacts of the pandemic. Many of the actions in the Plan will support people at risk of self-harm or suicide, including autistic people. The Plan is backed by an additional £500 million, including £5 million to support suicide prevention organisations in 2021/22.