Autism (Wales) Bill

An Assembly Member Bill, introduced by Paul Davies MS. Paul Davies MS was successful in a legislative ballot on 28 March 2017, and given leave to proceed with his Bill (PDF, 93KB) by the Assembly on 14 June 2017.

The Business Committee remitted the Bill to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee.

About the Bill

The overall purpose of the Bill is to ensure the needs of children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Wales are met, and to protect and promote their rights. The Bill delivers this purpose by seeking to:

Introduce a strategy for meeting the needs of children and adults in Wales with ASD conditions which will:

Promote best practice in diagnosing ASD, and assessing and planning for meeting care needs;
Ensure a clear and consistent pathway to diagnosis of ASD in local areas;
Ensure that local authorities and NHS bodies take necessary action so that children and adults with ASD receive the timely diagnosis and support they need across a range of services;
Strengthen support for families and carers and ensure their wishes, and those of people with ASD, are taken into account;
Promote research, innovation and improvement in ASD Services;
Establish practices to enable the collection of reliable and relevant data on the numbers and needs of children and adults with ASD, so that the Welsh Ministers, and local and NHS bodies can plan accordingly;
Ensure key staff working with people with ASD are provided with appropriate ASD training; and
Regularly review the strategy and guidance to ensure progress.

Require the Welsh Ministers to issue guidance to the relevant bodies on implementing the strategy.
Require the Welsh Ministers to collect suitable data to facilitate the implementation of the Bill.
Require the Welsh Ministers to undertake a campaign to raise awareness and understanding of ASD.

Further detail about the Bill can be found in its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum (PDF, 1MB).

An explanation of the various stages of Assembly Bills is available in the Guide to the Stages of Public Bills and Acts.

Current Stage

A debate on the general principles took place on 16 January 2019. The motion to agree the general principles was not agreed and the Bill was rejected by the Assembly, in accordance with Standing Order 26.14.

Record of Passage in the National Assembly for Wales

The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through the National Assembly for Wales.

Stage

Documents

Bill introduced: 13 July 2018

Autism (Wales) Bill, as introduced (PDF 93KB)

Explanatory Memorandum (PDF 1MB)

Presiding Officer’s Statement: 13 July 2018 (PDF 184KB)

Business Committee – Timetable for consideration of the Autism (Wales) Bill (PDF 55KB)

Plenary statement: Introduction of the Autism (Wales) Bill: 18 July 2018

Bilingual Glossary (PDF 68KB)

Statement of Policy Intent – Autism (Wales) Bill (PDF 104KB)

Letter to the Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee – Statement of Policy Intent

Stage 1: Committee considerations of general principles

The Health and Social Care Committee will consider its approach to Stage 1 consideration on 19 July 2018.

Committee dates

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
19 July 2018	Consideration of Approach to Stage 1 Scrutiny (Private)	(Private)	(Private)
19 September 2018	Oral evidence sessions	19 September transcript	View the meeting of 19 September
3 October 2018	Oral evidence sessions	3 October transcript	View the meeting of 3 October
11 October 2018	Oral evidence sessions	11 October transcript	View the meeting of 11 October
25 October 2018	Oral evidence sessions	25 October transcript	View the meeting of 25 October
7 November 2018	Oral evidence sessions	7 November transcript	View the meeting of 7 November

Ministerial Correspondence

Letter from the Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services – 26 October 2018 (PDF 104KB)

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services to the Chair of the Health, Social Services and Sport Committee – 19 November 2018 (PDF 1.71MB)

Committee Stage 1 Report

The Committee laid its report on 7 December 2018

Response by the Minister for Health and Social Services to the Health, Social Care, and Sport Committee’s Stage 1 Report – 18 February 2019 (PDF 449KB)

The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
24 September 2018	Oral evidence session – Paul Davies AM	24 September 2018 - transcript	View the meeting of 24 September 2018
15 October 2018	Oral evidence session – Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services	15 October 2018 - transcript	View the meeting of 15 October 2018

The Finance Committee will consider the Bill on the following date:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
11 October 2018	Oral evidence session – Paul Davies AM	11 October 2018 transcript	View the meeting of 11 October 2018
7 November 2018	Oral evidence session – Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services	7 November 2018 transcript	View the meeting of 7 November 2018