House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Committee report: Recommendations, government response and recent developments

The House of Lords Committee on the Autism Act 2009 called for the government to urgently develop a new autism strategy, tackling “persistent inequalities” experienced by autistic people in education, health, work, criminal justice and the community. The government has since commissioned an independent review into mental health conditions, autism and ADHD, launched a call for evidence to inform a mental health strategy, and announced a special educational needs reform bill.

House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Committee report: Recommendations, government response and recent developments

Protecting populations from atrocity crimes

The UK is required to contribute towards the prevention of atrocity crimes globally. Successive UK governments have used various mechanisms aimed at preventing mass atrocities. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised in recent years regarding the continued occurrence of large-scale violence worldwide. This has prompted some parliamentarians and external stakeholders to call on the government to do more to prevent such atrocities.

Protecting populations from atrocity crimes

  • In Focus

    Offence of misleading the public: Public Office (Accountability) Bill

    The Public Office (Accountability) Bill would implement Labour’s manifesto commitment to introduce a ‘Hillsborough law’, including placing a new duty of candour and assistance on public authorities and officials at inquiries. Clause 11 would introduce a new offence of misleading the public. The bill’s report stage in the House of Commons has been postponed whilst the government consults families and stakeholders on how certain provisions would apply to intelligence services.

  • In Focus

    ‘Better prisons, less crime’: Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee report

    In July 2025, the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee published its report ‘Better prisons, less crime’ following an inquiry into prison culture which focused on governance, leadership and staffing. The committee found that “prisons are currently operating in a state of crisis” and made recommendations aimed at addressing issues it had identified. The government accepted the majority of these recommendations and said that many were already a work in progress.

  • In Focus

    Countering extremism: UK strategy

    The government’s current approach to tackling extremism focuses on using the Prevent programme to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. There have been calls for the government to develop a separate counter-extremism strategy. Under both current and previous government there have been several reviews of the UK’s counter-extremism policies. The government has not committed to introducing a new strategy but has said it is considering advice on improving its approach.

  • In Focus

    Preventing mass atrocities

    The UK has a duty to punish and help prevent atrocity crimes like genocide from occurring globally. Successive UK governments have used various mechanisms to help prevent mass atrocities. However, concerns have been raised in recent years about the prevalence of incidents of large-scale violence continuing to occur around the world. This has led some parliamentarians and external stakeholders to call on the government to do more to prevent atrocities.

  • Research Briefing

    Victims and Courts Bill: HL Bill 141 of 2024-26

    The Victims and Courts Bill would introduce various justice reforms, including: compelling offenders to attend their sentencing hearings, restricting parental responsibility for certain sex offenders and clarifying victims’ rights for making disclosures relating to criminal conduct. The bill would also introduce measures to extend the powers of the victims’ commissioner, expand the eligibility for appointing crown prosecutors and increase sentencing review time limits for law officers under the unduly lenient sentences scheme.

  • Research Briefing

    Sentencing Bill: HL Bill 142 of 2024–26

    The Sentencing Bill is a government bill that started in the House of Commons. It received its first reading in the House of Lords on 30 October 2025 and is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 12 November 2025.

  • In Focus

    Technology in policing: Advances and limitations

    Every day, police officers across the country use a variety of technologies in the course of their duties. Some of these technologies have been used for almost a century, while others have been introduced in recent years. This briefing explores policing’s historic use of technology, some of the recent technological developments and the potential opportunities and risks they present.

  • Research Briefing

    Deprivation of Citizenship Orders (Effect during Appeal) Bill: HL Bill 127 of 2024–25

    The Deprivation of Citizenship Orders (Effect during Appeal) Bill is a government bill comprising a single substantive clause. It follows a Supreme Court judgment in February 2025 which held that anyone deprived of British citizenship automatically regains that status following a successful initial appeal. The bill would provide for deprivation orders to continue to have legal effect until any onward appeals had been determined.

  • In Focus

    Joint Committee on Human Rights: Accountability for Daesh crimes

    The Joint Committee on Human Rights has called for a reset in the UK’s approach to investigating and prosecuting international crimes such as genocide. It has also called for a change in the law to allow for universal jurisdiction to prosecute such crimes within the UK; greater oversight of powers that allow UK ministers to deprive individuals of British citizenship; and more information on British citizens held in north-east Syria.

  • In Focus

    Interpreting and language services in the courts: Public Services Committee report

    The House of Lords Public Services Committee’s March 2025 report highlighted perceived issues affecting court interpreting services, including the remuneration and support for interpreters, court technological limitations, and the quality and transparency of data on the provision of interpreting services. The committee made a number of recommendations to address these issues. The government responded to the report in May 2025, setting out how it would seek to address some of these points.

  • In Focus

    Select communications offences and concerns over free speech

    Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 contain communications offences which criminalise the sending of indecent or grossly offensive messages. In April 2025, the Times reported that arrests made under these sections had increased since the pandemic, while convictions under them had decreased over the past decade. Responding to the data, commentators have argued that the findings highlight issues around the offences and their impact on free speech.

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