British MPs Table Early Day Motion Backing Autism Campaign, UK

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 01 May 2007 - 12:00 PDT

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The highly influential member of parliament, Mike Gapes who is MP for Ilford South and Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons has tabled an important early day motion supporting the Autism Awareness Campaign UK's call for a national strategy on autism and a 10 year plan of action.

Autism has been pushed straight up the political agenda in Great Britain.It is having unprecedented coverage in the Palace of Westminster. A major debate on autism took place in March in Westminster Hall, followed by a question on autism in Prime Minister's Questions.

Prime Minister Tony Blair met with autism campaigner Ivan Corea on the 25th of April in the House of Commons. Corea presented the Prime Minister with The Autism Report calling for an end to the postcode lottery in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care for parents, carers and all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Also present at the meeting with the Prime Minister was Lee Scott MP who has been championing the cause of autism in parliament. Autism is on Tony Blair's legacy agenda and campaigners are urging him to create a program of action before he leaves office in the summer. They are also calling for a halt to the closure of special schools.

Ivan Corea said: 'I urge parliamentarians of all parties to do more for parents, carers and all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome in our country. There is still so much suffering out there - people with autism need better public services.'

Early Day Motion 1359 states:

That this House notes that the Prime Minister met autism campaigner Ivan Corea who presented a report on autism; backs the call of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK for the Government to undertake a 10 year programme of building specialist autism schools, building autism units in mainstream primary and secondary schools, tackling the failure of some secondary schools in bringing in educational strategies to deal with autistic children in a mainstream setting, providing access to further education and higher education, labour market opportunities for people with autism and tackling the whole question of bullying and autistic children; requests that the Government reviews the provision of recreational services for autistic children; and calls on the Government to launch a cohesive national strategy for autism.

House of Commons

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