Autism Bill

The hon. Lady makes an excellent point. The problem is like an iceberg: we can see the tip, but we cannot see the vast swathe underneath. If people do not have immediate parental back-up, they will at some stage reach a crisis. So many commentators outwith this House are preoccupied with expenses and money, but perhaps they would like also to register the fact that unless we make that help available, it will cost the taxpayer a great deal more money to deal with those individuals in crisis. I count the cost in human terms and think what a loss to our society it would be if an individual did not receive the support that would enable them to fulfil their potential when their parents are no longer there. Autism does not really fit in with many of the structures, and certainly not with local authority service structures. The problem is exacerbated by a lack of understanding of autism among the health and community care professionals, particularly those providing assessments. The resulting exclusion from services can result in an increase in support needs in the long term, with 33 per cent. of adults having developed mental health problems because of a lack of access to services. Hon. Members who are familiar with the Bill will see that it has gone through quite a metamorphosis since Second Reading. I want briefly to set out why and how it has changed. When the Bill was first introduced, it required local authorities and their partners to take a strategic approach to meeting the current and future needs of children and adults with autism in their areas. Following the strong commitments and the undertakings on data collection and provision for children given by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, North when she was a Minister with responsibility for schools and learners, the clauses relating to children were removed from the Bill. She made commitments on behalf of the Government, including one to amend the children and young people's plans—the CYPPs, the key strategic planning tools for local authorities—in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill. There will now be a new legal duty to ensure that local areas collate and share data on disabled children as part of their CYPP needs assessments, and they will also include children with autism in their plans for children's services. I hope that the Minister will nod at me—I know that convention means that she cannot intervene, but she made a bold commitment on ensuring that the statutory guidance accompanying the regulations will state that autism must be specified as a separate category. I look forward to seeing those provisions enacted later this year in a separate piece of legislation.