The All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism (APPGA) is a
group of
backbench
In Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition, being instead simply a member of the " ...
members of the British Parliament and Peers interested in
autism spectrum disorders. The Chair
Huw Merriman MP and Officers are elected by the Members of the Group at an annual AGM. The former Chair was
Cheryl Gillan, who was the
MP responsible for taking the
Autism Act 2009
The Autism Act 2009 (c 15) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act makes provision about the needs of adults who have autistic spectrum disorders including autism and Asperger syndrome.
Background
The Act began as part of th ...
through the Houses of Parliament.
The APPGA was founded in 2000 by
Dame Stephanie Shirley CH. Its secretariat is provided by the
National Autistic Society.
An Advisory group exists for the APPGA, composed of experts and autistic individuals who are experts in their respective fields. It is chaired by Phillip Hanscombe (RNLD, Expert by Experience).
References
Autism in the United Kingdom
All-Party Parliamentary Groups
2000 establishments in the United Kingdom
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