Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that relevant health, education and local authorities take account of the specific needs of people with Down Syndrome.

The Government is supporting the Down Syndrome Bill which would place a new duty on the Secretary of State to issue guidance in England to certain health, social care, housing and education authorities on meeting the specific needs of people with Down(‘s) syndrome. The Bill would also create a new duty on the relevant authorities to have due regard to the guidance.