Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I'm pleased to open today's debate as the Member in charge of the Autism (Wales) Bill. I'd like to take this opportunity from the outset to thank Catherine Hunt and her team for their tremendous support and guidance during the development and passage of this Bill. Can I also thank National Autistic Society Cymru and the countless stakeholders and people up and down Wales who have helped make this Bill a reality?

I'd like to thank each of the committees who have considered and reported on this Bill and those who have contributed to the committee's work by providing evidence. I'm grateful to those committees for their scrutiny of the Bill and the useful recommendations that they have made. I've written to the Chairs of the committees outlining my response to the recommendations and the letter has been published ahead of this debate. I've carefully considered each of the reports and their recommendations, and I hope that Members have been able to see my response and recognise that I've listened to concerns raised. Where possible, I have accepted the recommendations and am committed to undertaking any further research or tabling amendments to the Bill in order to alleviate concerns.

I'd like to briefly say a few words in response to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's recommendation around the remedies available to citizens should they not receive the services they expect. I fully support the rationale of this recommendation. However, as I explained in my written response, I am unable to implement it at this time. I can assure Members that, should the general principles be agreed, I would be happy to work with Members, or to consider any amendments tabled during the amending periods, with the aim of strengthening the Bill in this respect. I acknowledge that members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee were unable to reach consensus on whether this Bill is the best way of achieving the improvements needed in autism services, but the fact that improvements are needed is emphasised throughout its report. I believe that my Bill will drive the necessary improvements.

As I said when I introduced this Bill, evidence from the two consultations that I ran showed that services for people with autism are inconsistent across Wales and, in some areas, inadequate. This was evident in the health committee's report, which stated that families it heard from have been waiting for 10 years for the autism strategy to deliver the services they need, but still they are struggling. These families are real people in all of our constituencies. Children and young people with autism aren't fulfilling their potential. Parents are despairing because the services that they need aren't available. We shouldn't still be in a situation where parents say that services aren't there and everything was a fight. These families deserve better.

People with autism have waited long enough. Urgent action is needed now to ensure that more support services are put in place. That's not just my view; that's the conclusion of the health committee, based on the evidence it received directly from families. The lived experience shared with the committee is testament that current arrangements are not fit for purpose. The committee concluded that the current difficulties that people with autism and their families face in accessing support are unacceptable. That's why this Bill is so important.

This Bill will ensure that a national autism strategy for Wales will be a statutory requirement and the services that people with autism can expect to receive will be enshrined in law. I agree with the health committee that there is a pressing need to improve autism support services and that this must be addressed as a matter of priority. I firmly believe that legislating in this way is the most effective route for delivering the improvements needed to ensure that people with autism get the support they deserve. My Bill identifies autism as a condition that requires greater attention, and it sends out a strong message that Wales is committed to ensuring that people with autism receive high quality, accessible services wherever they live in Wales on a permanent basis.