Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what studies his Department has conducted on a possible link between Asperger's syndrome and anorexia.

The Medical Research Council is currently funding a study of adolescent anorexia nervosa patients with autism spectrum disorder symptoms: ‘The Triple A study (Adolescents with Anorexia and Autism): A search for biomarkers’. The research aims to identify vulnerable patients, at an early stage, who may be unlikely to respond to current treatment for anorexia, with the longer-term aim of shaping individualised support and treatment strategies. The study is led by King's College London and is due to conclude next year.