Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps the Government have taken to (a) reduce the number of people with learning disabilities or autism in psychiatric hospitals, (b) improve the supported housing services available to people with learning disabilities or autism and (c) improve the community mental health services available to people with learning disabilities or autism.

In 2023/24, we are investing an additional £121 million to improve community support for people with a learning disability and autistic people as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, including funding for Children and Young People’s keyworkers.

The Ministerially-chaired Building the Right Support (BtRS) Delivery Board is overseeing implementation of the BtRS Action Plan (2022) which brings together actions across Government and public services to strengthen community support and reduce overall reliance on mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

From 2022/23 to 2024/25, we will continue to provide funding to build specialised housing, through the CASSH Fund, for older people and adults with learning disabilities or autism, physical disabilities and mental ill-health. Alongside this, the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (2021-2026) includes delivery within the programme for new supported housing.

In addition, the Government is supporting the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill, which includes a range of measures intended to improve quality of supported housing. We are investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England, including those based in the community, by March 2024. This will allow an additional 2 million people, including people with learning disabilities and autism, to get the mental health support they need.