English: I have to say, as a member of the health committee, I went into this process feeling I had some awareness of the issues, but I was far from convinced that legislation was the answer, and, through the process of receiving evidence, I have changed my mind. I've been thoroughly disheartened and actually sometimes quite distressed by the evidence we received from people with autism and their families of the challenges they face to get some kind of diagnosis, of identifying support where support is needed, and, where it exists at all, of getting access to their support. Some of those stories were heartbreaking, and in some places - I'm afraid that, in Wales, in some places services for those young people particularly are scarcely better than they were when I was a special needs teacher in the 1980s. There's a shocking lack of consistency nationally, and, where things are good, they are too often dependent on skilled and caring individuals in certain professions. I think it's clear from the debate today that we can all agree that this can't be allowed to continue and that something must be done, so why I am convinced that we need a law? Now, it is true that the evidence received by our committee was mixed, and the division has been summarised by others. Broadly, those providing services or responsible for providing services are against legislating. Their concerns are reflected in the report. I won't try to answer all their points, but I would say this: it is clear that the social services and well-being Act does not provide an adequate legal framework for the provision of services for all people with autism. The concerns raised about resourcing are genuine, of course, and they need to be addressed. But this is part of a wider debate about resourcing care and support for all people who need it, and it not a reason either not to legislate or to legislate. And, of course, generally speaking, providers of service rarely wish to see their services subject to more legislation than they think is necessary.
Welsh: Rhaid imi ddweud, fel aelod o'r pwyllgor iechyd, dechreuais y broses hon yn teimlo bod gennyf rywfaint o ymwybyddiaeth o'r materion, ond roeddwn ymhell o fod wedi fy argyhoeddi mai deddfwriaeth oedd yr ateb a thrwy'r broses o dderbyn tystiolaeth, rwyf wedi newid fy meddwl. Cefais fy nigalonni, a fy nhristáu weithiau, gan y dystiolaeth a gawsom gan bobl ag awtistiaeth a'u teuluoedd am yr heriau y maent yn eu hwynebu i gael rhyw fath o ddiagnosis, i ddod o hyd i gymorth lle y mae angen cymorth, a lle y mae'n bodoli, i gael mynediad at y cymorth hwnnw. Roedd rhai o'r straeon yn dorcalonnus, ac mewn rhai mannau yng Nghymru, mae arnaf ofn fod gwasanaethau i bobl ifanc, yn arbennig, fawr gwell nag yr oeddent pan oeddwn yn athrawes anghenion arbennig yn y 1980au. Ceir diffyg cysondeb syfrdanol yn genedlaethol, a lle mae pethau'n dda, maent yn aml yn dibynnu gormod ar unigolion medrus a gofalgar mewn proffesiynau penodol. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n amlwg o'r ddadl heddiw y gallwn i gyd gytuno na ellir caniatáu i hyn barhau a bod yn rhaid gwneud rhywbeth, felly pam rwyf fi mor argyhoeddedig fod angen deddf arnom? Nawr, mae'n wir mai cymysg oedd y dystiolaeth a gawsom gan ein pwyllgor, ac mae'r gwahaniaethau wedi'u crynhoi gan eraill. Yn fras, roedd y rhai sy'n darparu gwasanaethau neu sy'n gyfrifol am ddarparu gwasanaethau yn erbyn deddfu. Caiff eu pryderon eu hadlewyrchu yn yr adroddiad. Ni cheisiaf ateb eu pwyntiau i gyd, ond hoffwn ddweud hyn: mae'n amlwg nad yw'r Ddeddf gwasanaethau cymdeithasol a llesiant yn darparu fframwaith cyfreithiol digonol ar gyfer darparu gwasanaethau i'r holl bobl sydd ag awtistiaeth. Mae'r pryderon a godwyd ynglŷn ag adnoddau yn rhai dilys, wrth gwrs, ac mae angen rhoi sylw iddynt. Ond rhan o drafodaeth ehangach yw hon ynglŷn â darparu adnoddau ar gyfer gofal a chymorth i bawb sydd eu hangen, ac nid yw'n rheswm naill ai dros beidio â deddfu neu dros ddeddfu. Ac wrth gwrs, a siarad yn gyffredinol, anaml y bydd darparwyr gwasanaethau'n dymuno gweld eu gwasanaethau yn ddarostyngedig i fwy o ddeddfwriaeth nag y credant sy'n angenrheidiol.