Autism Bill

I also pay a huge tribute to the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Angela Browning) for her promotion of this cause. As I said on Second Reading, she was for many years a lone voice in the House, trying to improve services right across the spectrum. I also offer huge congratulations to the Minister of State on responding so comprehensively and enthusiastically to the challenge. It was a great moment when he moved the clauses in Committee. I am pleased that the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham decided that it was right to focus on the adult strategy and transition in this particular vehicle. I am also pleased that she has been reassured by the Department for Children, Schools and Families that it is committed to promoting and improving services for children. Nevertheless the statistics for the adult autistic community remain dire, shocking and stark, and that reflects variable practice, to say the least, and bleak prospects for so many. It is worth repeating those statistics: 63 per cent. of adults with autism say that their needs are not met; a third have mental health problems; 40 per cent. carry on living at home; and only 15 per cent. are in full-time work. Moreover, 67 per cent. of local authorities and 77 per cent. of primary care trusts do not collect data. It is scarcely surprising that the National Audit Office found that a good diagnosis, particularly of high-functioning autism, would save the taxpayer many millions. Equally unsurprising is its finding of the high level of frustration experienced in accessing services by so many adults with autism. The key question—and the reason we are all here—is how we make our expectations translate into reality in order to secure improved services and improved outcomes for the autistic community. Well, as we know, the process has already begun irrespective of our disagreements along the way. We all endorse the practical framework set up to consult on the strategy—the external reference group, which reflects the range of stakeholders and is chaired by Mark Lever, the chief executive of the National Autistic Society. Four main pillars have been identified: health; social inclusion, embracing employment, to which I will return; choice and control; and training. What makes the Bill so novel is its explicit requirement that the Government must produce a strategy. It requires the Government to improve services for adults and sets a clear time limit— 1 April 2010, so I hope we do not meet it, as the expectation is that the strategy should be completed by the end of the year. The limit merely allows flexibility and will be kept under review. The statutory guidance is to be consulted on and issued by 31 December 2010. We hope that the interval between the strategy and the guidance will be as small as we can make it, as the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham said. The statutory guidance will apply to local authorities and NHS bodies—including mental health trusts, which is vital. We had an interesting debate in Committee on how binding the guidance will be on foundation trusts. Because of their autonomous nature, it will not be binding, but a primary care trust contracting with such a foundation trust will still need to ensure that its statutory duty is fulfilled through the commissioning process, so there are some safeguards in the system. Clause 2 covers all the crucial points that we in the all-party group have argued for over many years. Improving these services will be a challenge. Diagnosis will have to be done by suitably qualified people, and it may need to be done, as the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton argued on Second Reading, out of area. Diagnosing high-functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome is much more tricky and difficult than diagnosing classic autism. As I said, that group is often hidden from services. The same applies to needs assessments. Transition planning of relevant services is vital, and I am pleased that the Bill includes that. The all-party group has just completed a report on transition and has made a number of recommendations to the Government. Some are more relevant to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, but many are relevant to other Departments, including the Department of Health. One of the report's main recommendations is:""Guidance should require Directors of Children's Services to maintain a database of the numbers of children with autism in their area and share this information with Adult Services."" I think that that commitment has already been made. It also recommends:""Guidance should require that Directors of Children's Services and Directors of Adult Social Services co-operate to review and plan services for young people with autism on a regular basis, including those children with complex needs in out-of-authority placements.""The Government should extend the duty on local authorities to ensure that a multi-agency person-centred transition plan is developed for each pupil with autism who receives support at School Action Plus from the age of 14, in addition to those with a statement of SEN.""The disabled children's services national indicator (N154) should be extended and young people's views gathered in a survey so that there is a specific focus on transition against which local areas can be measured. Any future review of the local government performance framework should address the needs of disabled young people during transition to adulthood.""The Government's learning disability employment strategy should address the needs of young adults with autism, including Asperger syndrome, in line with Public Service Agreement 16.""