6. Debate on the General Principles of the Autism (Wales) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:28 pm on 16 January 2019.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 4:28, 16 January 2019

I completely reject the comparison; they're entirely different issues. The public health measures we were looking to take with the minimum unit pricing Act have been supported by a range of evidence we put before committees, and indeed the purpose and point of that Bill was supported by committees in this Assembly during their scrutiny. But if this Bill is passed, we do risk concentrating our clinical resources on diagnosis rather than ongoing support services. The children's commissioner, the royal colleges for GPs, nursing, speech and language therapy, psychiatry, paediatrics and child health, and occupational therapy, the NHS Confederation, and the Welsh Local Government Association all recognised the need for further consistency and improvement. They were also all united that this Bill is not the right way to do so. I'll take a further intervention if I'm to be allowed time, Dirprwy Lywydd.