Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. And can I thank everyone who has contributed to this debate this afternoon? Unfortunately, I won't have time to make reference to points made by all Members.

Can I first of all thank the Chairs of the relevant committees for making their positions clear? The Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee confirmed that the committee had not reached a consensus on this Bill, but the committee is clear, we need to see real improvements to services for people with autism. The Chair of Finance Committee has made clear today the importance of receiving the correct and appropriate information in order to scrutinise legislation, and he expressed the committee's concern that the Government had not provided me, as the Member in charge, with relevant information, and this has therefore been a barrier in the committee coming to a conclusion. There are certainly lessons to be learned here as far as the Government is concerned.

I'm grateful to the Minister for his response to this debate, but I am extremely disappointed that he will vote against this motion today. I know the Minister has tried to argue that the Assembly committees do not positively support this legislation, but the Minister knows full well that the committees were not against this Bill either. They made it clear that it's now a matter for this Assembly.

The Minister again has argued that the code is superior to this piece of legislation, but, of course, I disagree with him on that and I'm not going to rehearse those arguments as I gave these reasons in my opening remarks. However, all I would say to him is that the code could be encompassed into this piece of legislation at Stages 2 and 3. So, my message to him is this: my Bill will build on some of the measures introduced by the Welsh Government, it will complement some of the Government's good work, and I therefore urge him and his Government to reconsider their position.

I'm grateful to Helen Mary Jones for making a powerful argument as to why this Bill should be supported, and she's a good example of someone who has been persuaded that legislation is the best way forward. And she's absolutely right that the Government is contradicting itself, because, yes, on the one hand, it argues we don't need condition-specific legislation, but then on the other hand is bringing forward a specific code. It can't have it both ways.

I believe this Bill will improve services for people with autism across Wales and I would urge Members not just to listen to me, but to listen to the many charities, the many activists, the many families living with autism, which affects them each day, all day, every day. The autism community have demonstrated sheer clarity on this issue and they shared their many stories and experiences with me, so many stories are deeply upsetting, and they're campaigning for legislation to give them protection and assurances that signpost them to services that will help improve their quality of life and that of the people around them. It is absolutely imperative in defining the difference between what the Welsh Government appear to want and what the autism community want. There's a danger here that the Government's measures will allow the Government to do more the same. The law would protect the needs of the individuals and their families.

I'm sure Members will recall the story I told the Chamber last year about a mum we can call 'Sarah'. Her name was changed to protect her identity. I talked about how her child would have meltdowns, how she would lose all control and scratch at her own eyes so that Sarah had to restrain her and how her brothers didn't understand why their sister sometimes hit out at them and why their mum wasn't telling her off. Sarah was holding down a job, looking after her family and fighting—and I don't use that term lightly—for a diagnosis. She told me that she had to fight for absolutely everything. She shouldn't have to fight. She should have what she needs to support her daughter and her family to help them live as normal a life as they possibly could. This is just one sad example. There are countless others in all our communities.

This primary legislation will help considerably to improve the lives of people living with autism throughout Wales. We have a duty of care to all residents, and we need to give them tailored opportunities that will exceed their expectations and give them opportunities to realise their potential. I urge all Members to look to their constituents and cast their votes today for them. I urge Members to reflect on the correspondence we have all received, which will show the strength of feeling on this very issue. If the Bill falls today then that's it. This is not about passing the legislation this afternoon, but it's about enabling this Bill to proceed to the next stages of scrutiny. I therefore urge Members to vote in favour of this motion.