Could I call for three short statements, if I may? The first
is on improvements in autism services. On 23 September, a
week ago yesterday, the health Minister issued a written
statement with that title, which merits an oral statement or
even a debate in Welsh Government time. It states, for
example:88
'Some see the answer is to introduce autism legislation, but
we know that in England where the Autism Act was passed in
2009, this has not achieved the benefits that were
promised'.89
And, it says:90
'There is no equivalent to the progress we are making in
Wales in the Integrated Autism Service'.91
However, the National Autistic Society in England tell me
that there has been significant progress in having a
diagnostic pathway under the Autism Act there, with many more
people presenting for diagnosis. Every area has an autism
lead, and the last report said that the number of autistic
people who have been found eligible for social care is up,
and more diagnosis pathways are specialist autism ones. The
wider autism community has asked me to challenge the
perception that progress is being made in the integrated
autism service where, for example, we don't have any
information from it that measures outcomes for autistic
people who have accessed the service, and much more besides,
but I haven't got time to go into this now. It does merit
time to ask appropriate questions accordingly.
