(2) if he will hold meetings with representatives of the learning disability sector on levels of funding for services for people with a learning disability during the next Comprehensive Spending Review period.
Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT) have yet to announce the timing of the next spending review and make available the associated guidance. We will have discussions with HMT in due course, as part of that process. The meetings the Department are engaged in with the Learning Disability Coalition help inform the data and evidence we need to make the best possible case for adequate funding for all adults with social care needs, including those with a learning disability.
By the end of spring 2009, the Department will be disseminating a report by Professor Eric Emerson (February 2009) from the Centre for Disability Research, Lancaster university, ‘Estimating Future Numbers of Adults with Profound Multiple Learning Disabilities in England’. It is envisaged that this information will help local services to better estimate the numbers of adults with profound multiple disabilities and therefore provide support where it is required. Departmental officials are also in discussion with the Learning Disability Coalition on options about possible research on the prevalence of learning disabilities.