Tim Nicholls, Head of Influencing and Research at the National Autistic Society, said: “The Government has ignored the thousands of us calling for reform, so our mental health laws are fit for the 21st century. We do not understand why it is not worth parliamentary time to change the law so that autism can no longer be a reason to section someone.

“The King’s Speech was a vital opportunity for the Government to commit to reforming the outdated Mental Health Act, and address the ongoing crisis of autistic people being stuck in mental health hospitals. The Government has failed to keep its promises. 

“There are 2,045 autistic people and people with learning disabilities in mental health hospitals in England - and 65% are autistic people. Hospitals are often miles away from families and the average length of stay is more than five years. We hear alarming reports of people being overmedicated, pinned down and shut away in isolation in these settings, often with devastating consequences. 

“Reforming the Mental Health Act needed to be a key step towards ending this crisis. We urgently need significant, long-term funding for community mental health and social care services, so that autistic people can get the support they need in the first place and don’t need to reach crisis point and end up locked away in hospitals.”