Thank you. I’m very pleased to take part in this important debate to draw attention to some of the matters that people who live with autism face in west Wales, and especially showing my support for an autism Act.

I’m sure that Members have received heartbreaking correspondence from constituents who are frustrated with the long waiting times in diagnosis for their children. In the meantime, these parents have to see their children continuing in the education system without access to the vital support that they need. This can harm the social skills and the communication skills of their children, and harm their progress in education in general. In Pembrokeshire, we’re very lucky to have a branch of the National Autistic Society. They are a very determined and organised branch who continue to link up with the local authority and the health board, and also Assembly Members. So, I want to take this opportunity to thank the people who are involved in the local branch, some of whom are in the gallery today, who continue to work with me and give me the latest information about the challenges that face people who live with autism in Pembrokeshire. Through this relationship, that’s why I know more about the local provision and what improvements need to be made.

It’s clear that we are in the middle of a significant change in terms of autism services in west Wales. I have no doubt that things are trying to be put in place to improve the situation. However, Hywel Dda local health board and Pembrokeshire County Council can do more to better convey any development to local support groups and parents so that we can ensure that the right support is targeted for those who need it and that nobody slips through the net.

It is vitally important that the responsible authorities do link up with stakeholders regularly so that people are aware of any changes to services. Unfortunately, the latest feedback that I’ve received from local parents in my area suggests that the stakeholders of the local health board haven’t met since March, and so the concerns of local people don’t receive the attention that they deserve. That shows why it’s time to have an autism Act in Wales.

Waiting times for diagnosis have become more of a problem in Pembrokeshire because of the difficulty in getting the latest figures for diagnosis from the local health board. It’s vital that the health board does gather the appropriate data so that they can plan provision of services clearly. An autism Act would put a duty on local authorities to record the number of autistic children and adults in their local areas, and this would lead to the development of their practices.

As we in Pembrokeshire already know, the new strategy itself won’t be enough to achieve the change that is needed to get to grips with local provision. In 2013, the National Autistic Society in Pembrokeshire put together a petition that called on the Welsh Government to ensure prompt diagnosis for children with autism, wherever they live in Wales, so that they can live full lives. The petition received over 900 signatures in a few weeks. There was support not just within Pembrokeshire but across Wales.

We saw improvements following that campaign, and a scheme was put in place to shorten the waiting times, but this scheme was put in place for only one year. That’s exactly why we need legislation: to put a duty on health boards across Wales to ensure that there is a clear pathway to diagnosis of autism in all parts of Wales. Unfortunately, parents in Pembrokeshire aren’t aware of the services that are available to them, and we need to establish a clear path by the local health board and the local authority so that parents know what specific services are available and how they can be accessed.

It’s clear to me, at present, that the people that I represent aren’t aware of the clear path, and so they aren’t aware of the services that are available and how they can access them.An autism Act would ensure that there is a duty placed on the relevant authorities so that people are clear then about the services that are available and how those services are provided in our communities.

There must be an acknowledgement that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t appropriate for everyone and isn’t the right way forward for people who live with autism. Autism is a spectrum condition, which means that everyone shares some areas. There aren’t two people who have exactly the same symptoms. Putting forward legislation would ensure that local issues, such as waiting times for diagnosis, could be tackled because data would be collected at an appropriate level and, more importantly, those people who live with autism would know what support can be expected at a local level.

So, in concluding, Deputy Presiding Officer, more support for people living with autism is vital, and I do believe that the right way that this Assembly can give that support is to put forward an autism Act during this Assembly.