What happened
The National Autistic Society has expressed anger and dismay after the Scottish Government chose to abandon the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill following five years of campaigning. The Bill sought to take a whole-life approach across social security, education, health and social care, transport and justice. The charity is particularly concerned that two key pillars — mandatory public-sector training and requirements for national and local government to publish strategies — are absent from the Government's plans, leaving no national plan to address the systemic injustices autistic people face. The National Autistic Society Scotland said it will hold the Government to account on commitments including action on Additional Support Needs and diagnosis pathways.
Why it matters
Developments like this shape commissioning, regulation and provider strategy across learning disability services. Members can follow the providers named here, plus the leadership moves and pay benchmarks that follow.