Written questions by Khan.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to use the NHS 10 Year Health Plan to adapt housing policy to better support the needs of (a) disabled and (b) older people.

We recognise how important the right housing arrangements are in supporting people to live independently, and the need to support disabled and older people to live behind their own front door wherever possible.We are working across Government to tackle the wider determinants of health, including poor housing and fuel poverty, providing advice on the health impacts for the new Fuel Poverty Strategy, and supporting the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government with the implementation of Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard in the social housing sector.In the 10-Year Health Plan, we have committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer. Over the next three years, we will roll out the neighbourhood health approach to the groups most failed by the current system, improving people’s quality of life and easing pressures on both hospitals and the adult social care system.We have provided an additional £172 million across this and the last financial year to uplift the Disabled Facilities Grant, which could provide approximately 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes.

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce the gender diagnosis gap for autism.

We recognise that diagnosis rates of autism are lower in women and girls and lower than the best evidence on prevalence. This may reflect differences in how autism presents in males and females, which may make autism more difficult to identify in women and girls.Autism assessments should be undertaken by appropriately skilled clinicians who consider a number of factors before coming to a clinical decision. Integrated care boards and health professionals should have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning and providing health care services, including autism assessment services. The NICE guideline Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis sets out considerations for clinicians when assessing for autism, including highlighting that autism may be under-diagnosed in women and girls.NHS England has also rolled out training across mental health services with 5,000 trainers having been trained as part of the National Autism Trainer Programme, and this training covers autism presentation in women and girls. These trainers will cascade their training to teams across mental health services.

What steps he is taking to ensure that autism-related mental health needs are recognised and supported before reaching clinical thresholds.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out the core principle of early intervention and support, without the need for diagnosis, including for children and young people. In the autumn, the Government will bring forward a schools white paper, which will detail the Government’s approach to reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, ensuring joined-up support, and including education and healthcare providers working together.NHS England has also rolled out additional training across mental health services. 5,000 trainers have been trained as part of the National Autism Trainer Programme, and this training covers autism presentation in women and girls. These trainers will cascade their training to teams across mental health services.Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to roll out mental health support teams in schools and colleges, to reach full national coverage by 2029/30. We will also ensure that support for children and young people’s mental health is embedded in new Young Futures Hubs, alongside a wellbeing offer, to ensure there is no ‘wrong front door’ for young people with mental health needs, including those who are autistic, seeking help.The Government is transforming mental health services through 24 hour a day, seven day a week neighbourhood mental health centres to support our ambition to shift care from hospitals to communities. People will get better direct access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the NHS App, without needing a general practice appointment.

What steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for autism (a) diagnosis and (b) support for (i) adults and (ii) children in Manchester Rusholme constituency.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism has grown significantly in recent years, and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, including early intervention and support without the need for diagnosis.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of autism services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for people referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and following a recent diagnosis of autism. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.The Government is also supporting inclusive environments and earlier intervention for children through the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes.The NHS Greater Manchester ICB, shaped by engagement with over 15,000 people, has developed a new model of care to improve the outcomes of children and young people with neurodiverse needs. The model supports:- local neurodevelopmental hubs to provide a single point of access for help, each with specialist teams to provide tailored support for individuals and families;- triage and prioritisation, where children who are most vulnerable and in need of support are seen first; and- standardising core services across Greater Manchester to reduce regional inequalities.The NHS Greater Manchester ICB has also prioritised alignment with the adoption of the GM Children and Young People and Adult Autism Standards for all commissioned services, with further information available at the following link:https://autismgm.org.uk/resources/gm-autism-post-diagnosis-standards/

What steps he is taking to help ensure adult (a) diagnostic and (b) post-diagnostic pathways for autism are (i) available and (ii) accessible in Manchester.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism has grown significantly in recent years, and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, including early intervention and support without the need for diagnosis.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of autism services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for people referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and following a recent diagnosis of autism. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.The Government is also supporting inclusive environments and earlier intervention for children through the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes.The NHS Greater Manchester ICB, shaped by engagement with over 15,000 people, has developed a new model of care to improve the outcomes of children and young people with neurodiverse needs. The model supports:- local neurodevelopmental hubs to provide a single point of access for help, each with specialist teams to provide tailored support for individuals and families;- triage and prioritisation, where children who are most vulnerable and in need of support are seen first; and- standardising core services across Greater Manchester to reduce regional inequalities.The NHS Greater Manchester ICB has also prioritised alignment with the adoption of the GM Children and Young People and Adult Autism Standards for all commissioned services, with further information available at the following link:https://autismgm.org.uk/resources/gm-autism-post-diagnosis-standards/

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on improving diagnostic outcomes for autistic women and girls from ethnic minority backgrounds.

NHS data suggests that rates of diagnoses for autism are often lower in certain ethnic communities, with research literature indicating that attitudes, beliefs and stigma about neurodevelopmental differences are likely to play a significant role in this. At the end of last year, a Neurodivergence Task and Finish group was established, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg of Birmingham University, to provide advice and recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within inclusive mainstream settings. The group have listened to a wide range of people, including other sector experts and stakeholders and neurodivergent children and young people, their parents, and others who care for them. The group are due to report back to me shortly.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing national guidance for autism diagnosis to reflect differences in how males and females (a) experience and (b) present neurodivergence.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis, sets out considerations for clinicians when assessing for autism, including highlighting that this condition may be under-recognised in women and girls. The guidelines are available at the following links:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg128NICE has committed to updating these guidelines; however, this work has not yet been scheduled into NICE’s work programme. NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services in April 2023.

What steps she is taking to incorporate research on (a) masking and (b) internalised behaviours into (i) autism diagnostic pathways and (ii) training for healthcare professionals.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) and health professionals should have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning and providing health care services, including autism assessment services. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. In June 2024, NICE’s prioritisation board decided to prioritise updating the current NICE guidelines on autism assessment and diagnosis, namely Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management, and Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis. Both guidelines are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg128Although NICE has committed to updating these guidelines, this work has not yet been scheduled into NICE’s work programme.Under the Health and Care Act 2022, providers registered with the Care Quality Commission are required to ensure their staff receive specific training on learning disability and autism, appropriate to their role. To support this, we have been rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism to the health and adult social care workforce. The first part of this training has now been completed by over three million people. Staff with responsibility for providing care, support, or healthcare, including social care and other professionals with a high degree of autonomy, are expected to complete Tier 2 of Oliver’s Training, which includes content on avoiding diagnostic overshadowing. Oliver's Training has been developed with reference to the Core Capabilities Frameworks on Learning Disability and Autism, co-produced alongside people with a learning disability and autistic people, and based on learning from the independently evaluated trials of the training in 2021. A long-term evaluation is now underway.In addition, 5,000 trainers have been trained as part of the National Autism Trainer Programme, which covers autism presentation in women and girls. These trainers will cascade their training to teams across mental health services. NHS England has also published guidance on meeting the needs of autistic adults in mental health services, which makes specific references to the possible role of masking.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will include plans to ensure food partnerships in every area by 2030 in the National Food Strategy.

The food strategy will articulate the outcomes we want from the food system, enabling the Government, civil society, and the food industry work to shared goals and priorities. Local and place-based approaches will have a key role to play in delivery of these outcomes. We will continue to work with partners across the food system as we develop our approach.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the National Food Strategy will reference young people.

We are developing an ambitious new food strategy to set the food system up for long term success. The strategy will deliver wide ranging improvements. Everyone including young people will benefit from a healthier, more affordable, sustainable and resilient 21st century UK food system that grows the economy, feeds the nation, nourishes people, and protects the environment, now and in the future. A number of food strategy outcomes are particularly important for young people touching on children's health, food education, and jobs and skills in the food sector.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to help tackle levels of furniture poverty for people living in social housing.

On 2 July, the government opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It seeks views on a range of issues including whether landlords should provide suitable floor coverings in all rooms at the start of every tenancy. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of levels of furniture poverty in social housing in Manchester Rusholme constituency.

On 2 July, the government opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It seeks views on a range of issues including whether landlords should provide suitable floor coverings in all rooms at the start of every tenancy. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether it is her policy that her Department's planned affordable housing will meet the (a) best practice guidance from the revised Decent Homes Standard and (b) best practice guidance on furniture provision.

On 2 July, the government opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It seeks views on a range of issues including whether landlords should provide suitable floor coverings in all rooms at the start of every tenancy. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here.

Whether her Department plans to allocate funding for furniture provision through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

The new Crisis and Resilience Fund will be introduced from 1 April 2026. This represents the first ever multi-year settlement for locally delivered crisis support We will be working closely with local authorities and external stakeholders on the detailed design of the Crisis and Resilience Fund and We will issue further information on our planned approach in due course.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the cyber security industry in Manchester Rusholme on economic growth in the North West; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to update the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

The government’s new Industrial Strategy highlights cyber security as a strategically important sector and one with potential for high growth. The annual UK Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis shows the sector is worth £13.2 billion, up 12% on the previous year, having grown significantly each year since the analysis began.Greater Manchester is recognised in the Industrial Strategy as a key centre of innovation and technology, with our analysis showing 8% of UK cyber companies and 10% of the country’s cyber workforce are based in the North West. Last year the North West attracted £101.5m in private equity cyber security investment, accounting for 49% of the UK total, the most for any region or devolved administration in the UK. The region is home to the Digital Information Security Hub (DiSH) and The University of Manchester is also recognised as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, highlighting Manchester’s importance in the cyber security industry.The Home Office is reviewing the Computer Misuse Act, and will update on proposals taken forward in due course.

If she will instruct the Financial Conduct Authority to investigate pricing in the insurance market.

Insurers make commercial decisions about the price and terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA monitors firms to ensure they provide products that offer fair value and has robust powers to act against firms that fail to comply with its rules.

Innovation and Technology, if he will visit the new Robotics Living Lab at the Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, to make an assessment of the potential merits of this example of investment by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council CReSca World Class Lab funding for innovative technology for sustainable fashion manufacturing.

The Robotics Living Lab was awarded £3.8 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through its World Class Labs programme. This represents an outstanding example of how public funding for university-driven and interdisciplinary research can attract private investment, and the government is delighted that it is now leading the future of textiles and fashion.As part of the Industrial Strategy, the government recently published the Creative Industries Sector Plan to cement the UK’s position as a global creative powerhouse by 2035. A £100 million UKRI investment over the Spending Review will support the ambitious next wave of R&D creative clusters throughout the UK.

If he will visit the new Robotics Living Lab at the Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, to make an assessment of its contribution to sustainable approaches for fashion manufacturing.

The Government recognises the importance of the Robotics Living Lab (RoLL) at Manchester Fashion Institute for its key role in helping modernise the fashion industry. Officials have visited the Lab and recognise how, by combining robotics and digital technologies, RoLL supports small businesses and contributes to the UK’s wider goals of achieving low-carbon, high-value manufacturing. The Ministerial team's plans for engagement, including regional and local visits, are revisited regularly.

Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to promote the UK fashion sector through the Creative Industries Growth strategy.

Through the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are backing the UK fashion sector as a key part of our world-leading creative industries. This includes targeted support for emerging designers with a specific funding commitment to the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN programme - helping talent showcase at London Fashion Week and access business mentoring. The Sector Plan also recognises the important role that fashion plays in the connected ecosystem of the Creative Industries. It sets out support through wider cross-cutting measures, including increased access to equity and debt finance via the British Business Bank, a £50 million expansion of the Creative Industries Clusters programme, and a new R&D strategy due in 2025. We're addressing skills gaps with new training flexibilities, enhanced specialist education provision, and the launch of a new Creative Sector Skills Forum. And a refreshed creative careers service, backed by £9 million, will also help young people access careers in the creative industries, including the fashion sector.

If he will include the role of the UK fashion industry in the Invest 2035 strategy.

The Industrial Strategy will support the whole economy, through an improved operating environment, long-term stability and greater dynamism for new entrants to emerge.As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, DCMS will invest in the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN programme, backing emerging UK designers with funding for London Fashion Week. DBT will continue to champion international trade promotion for the fashion sector through initiatives like guest programmes and key international trades shows.