Liam Fox hosted a reception inside the Houses of Parliament to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day (March 21) after a successful second reading of the proposed Down Syndrome Bill.

People with Down syndrome and their families attended the event, also hosted by the National Down Syndrome Policy Group (NDSPG), in Westminster for the first time ever.

The celebration comes shortly after North Somerset's MP's Down Syndrome Bill passed through its second reading in Parliament.

The Bill aims to improve the lives of those living with Down syndrome and has been described as a 'world-first'

At the event, Liam Fox said: “Today was one of the most joyous occasions I have attended in Westminster.

"The optimism about being valued through the Down Syndrome Bill was palpable and the number of MPs and Peers showed the great awaking that this campaign has created."

The Down Syndrome Bill will undergo a third reading before Parliament next month.