English: Can I thank the Member for her support, and for her party's support for this Bill? She's right that, despite the strategy introduced 10 years ago, we are still seeing a lack of services for people with autism in certain parts of Wales. She raises the point about placing a duty on bodies, and this Bill will actually place a duty on local health boards and local authorities to ensure that services are actually delivered in all communities of Wales. It's also, I think, important to say that this Bill will make sure that there is a clear pathway to the diagnosis of autism, and I'm sure she's had examples, and she's had constituents contacting her, where parents have been unable to get a diagnosis for their children. In my own area, in Pembrokeshire, unfortunately, I know of parents whose children have waited up to seven years before a diagnosis. That is totally unacceptable, and that's why we need change, that's why we need to make sure that we see this Bill passing, because this Bill will actually underpin those particular services. She raises the point about support - the wider support for this Bill. I am in no doubt whatsoever that there is wide support for this Bill. I've run two consultations now over the last 12 months. It's been absolutely clear from those consultations that there is overwhelming support for this Bill, and they do believe that this Bill is absolutely essential. She mentioned the costs, and I think I referred to costs earlier on when I responded to the Cabinet Secretary for health. Yes, there's no getting away from the fact that legislation that improves services for people with autism spectrum disorder will cost money, but I believe that those costs are actually worth while for the individuals affected and that they will ultimately lead to long-term economic savings as well. The final point she raised was whether there's a risk that giving autism a special legal status could actually risk other conditions being demeaned. Well, the Welsh Government has previously published an autism strategic action plan, and I'm not aware of any evidence that was raised that this has actually resulted in inequality as far as that action plan is concerned. The Autism Act 2009 is already in place in England, while in Northern Ireland the Autism Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 is in effect. Again, I'm not aware of evidence that either Act is known to have had a detrimental effect on provision for people with other neurodevelopmental disorders. The Bill also includes a safeguard against inadvertently diminishing relevant bodies' focus on addressing the needs of people with other neurodevelopmental disorders. It includes that the definition of autism spectrum disorder may include any other neurodevelopmental disorder prescribed by regulations by Welsh Ministers. So, Welsh Ministers in the future could actually do that.
Welsh: A gaf fi ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei chefnogaeth, ac am gefnogaeth ei phlaid i'r Bil hwn? Mae hi'n iawn, er gwaethaf y strategaeth a gyflwynwyd 10 mlynedd yn ôl, rydym yn dal i weld prinder gwasanaethau ar gyfer pobl ag awtistiaeth mewn rhai rhannau o Gymru. Mae hi'n codi'r pwynt am osod dyletswydd ar gyrff, a bydd y Bil hwn mewn gwirionedd yn gosod dyletswydd ar fyrddau iechyd lleol ac awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau y caiff gwasanaethau eu darparu yn holl gymunedau Cymru. Mae hefyd yn bwysig dweud, rwy'n credu, y bydd y Bil hwn yn sicrhau bod llwybr clir i ddiagnosis o awtistiaeth, ac rwy'n siŵr ei bod wedi cael enghreifftiau, ac wedi cael etholwyr yn cysylltu â hi, lle mae rhieni wedi methu cael diagnosis i'w plant. Yn fy ardal i, yn sir Benfro, yn anffodus, gwn am rieni y mae eu plant wedi aros hyd at saith mlynedd cyn cael diagnosis. Mae hynny'n gwbl annerbyniol, a dyna pam y mae angen newid, dyna pam y mae angen inni wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn gweld y Bil hwn yn pasio, oherwydd bydd y Bil hwn yn sail i'r gwasanaethau hynny. Mae hi wedi codi pwynt am gefnogaeth - y cymorth ehangach ar gyfer y Bil hwn. Nid oes gennyf amheuaeth o gwbl nad oes cefnogaeth eang i'r Bil hwn. Rwyf wedi cynnal dau ymgynghoriad yn awr dros y 12 mis diwethaf. Bu'n hollol amlwg o'r ymgynghoriadau hynny y ceir cefnogaeth eithriadol i'r Bil hwn, a chredant ei fod yn gwbl hanfodol. Fe soniodd am y costau, a chredaf imi gyfeirio at gostau yn gynharach pan ymatebais i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd. Nid oes dianc rhag y ffaith y bydd deddfwriaeth sy'n gwella gwasanaethau i bobl ag anhwylder sbectrwm awtistiaeth yn costio arian, ond credaf fod y costau hynny'n werth chweil i'r unigolion yr effeithir arnynt ac y byddant yn arwain yn y pen draw at arbedion economaidd hirdymor yn ogystal. Y pwynt olaf a gododd oedd y risg y gallai rhoi statws cyfreithiol arbennig i awtistiaeth greu perygl o ostwng statws cyflyrau eraill. Wel, mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes wedi cyhoeddi cynllun gweithredu strategol ar awtistiaeth, ac nid wyf yn ymwybodol o unrhyw dystiolaeth a welwyd fod hynny wedi arwain at anghydraddoldeb o ran y cynllun gweithredu hwnnw. Mae Deddf Awtistiaeth 2009 eisoes ar waith yn Lloegr, ac yng Ngogledd Iwerddon mae Deddf Awtistiaeth (Gogledd Iwerddon) 2011 mewn grym. Unwaith eto, nid wyf yn ymwybodol o dystiolaeth fod y naill Ddeddf na'r llall yn wedi cael effaith andwyol hysbys ar y ddarpariaeth i bobl ag anhwylderau niwroddatblygiadol eraill. Mae'r Bil hefyd yn cynnwys diogelwch rhag lleihau ffocws cyrff perthnasol ar fynd i'r afael ag anghenion pobl sydd ag anhwylderau niwroddatblygiadol eraill. Mae'n cynnwys darpariaeth y gall y diffiniad o anhwylder sbectrwm awtistiaeth gynnwys unrhyw anhwylder niwroddatblygiadol arall a ragnodir gan reoliadau gan Weinidogion Cymru. Felly, gallai Gweinidogion Cymru wneud hynny yn y dyfodol mewn gwirionedd.