I think Bethan raised a key point about autism transition and it’s a long-standing problem—something I’ve had a lot of casework on, but also it’s been raised successively with cross-party autism groups over a number of Assemblies. On that theme, I call for a statement on the Welsh Government’s refreshed autism spectrum disorder strategic action plan and the proposals for a national autism service for Wales. These were launched on a Friday only a couple of weeks before the last Assembly went into dissolution, and this Assembly hasn’t yet had an opportunity to discuss or scrutinise the draft or the consultation that it launched.

Whilst integration of health, employment, education and social services is welcome, there remains concern in the autism community that the lack of statutory backing means that it may not ensure the change that we all want to see for children, adults and their families on the autism spectrum; concern over the £6 million over three years—that’s £2 million annually; is that new money or is it simply redirected existing money: we don’t know; concern that without adequate funding the timing will slip, and it won’t deliver, without statutory backing, the promises it makes; and also concern that people, for instance in north Wales, would not be able to benefit from the services it proposes until the end of 2018. It’s also noted that the report that the Welsh Local Government Association is taking forward with Public Health Wales on the new national service is full of ‘should’s rather than ‘must’s and that this could still be interpreted differently between different health boards and lack of detail on how health boards would work with local authorities. This Assembly does need to have an opportunity to scrutinise and discuss this key proposal.

Secondly, and finally, could I call for a statement on British Sign Language? The Minister might be aware that Scotland has brought forward legislation on this and that Northern Ireland is actually looking very closely also at that Scottish legislation. The Welsh Government’s own legislation, the well-being of future generations and the social services and well-being Acts will enforce equality in service provision across public services. Therefore, British Sign Language will be in greater demand for providers to correspond and communicate with British Sign Language users across all services: health, education, social services and otherwise, and also for all venues providing those public services to have communication tools suitable for deaf people. So, in that context—in the context of your own Government’s legislation and in the context of developments in Scotland and Northern Ireland on the BSL issue—I would call for a statement.