In a Senedd debate led by Mark Isherwood AM, Conservative Members called on the Welsh Government to give more support to the estimated 34,000 people in Wales living with autism.
But the bill was subsequently voted down by Labour, including its Cabinet Secretaries for health and public health. Twenty four Members voted for the motion and 27 opposed it.
Welsh Conservative Mark Isherwood AM first called for the Bill to be introduced during an Individual Members Debate in 2015.
The First Minister Carwyn Jones has previously gone on record as saying he would âactively considerâ such a bill and even pointed to 2016 as a date when such a legislation might be brought forward.
During yesterdayâs debate, Members delivered impassioned arguments on why ministers should bring forward specific autism legislation that already exists in England and Northern Ireland.
They cited the fact that under current Welsh Government legislation, people with autism lack a legal identity – which has led to people not receiving adequate professional support from public services – placing them at a disadvantage to the rest of society.
Speaking after the debate, Mark Isherwood AM said:
âTodayâs vote is obviously a significant blow to the 136,000 people affected by autism in Wales â the passion of whom was evident by those who sat in the gallery to watch the debate.
âDespite Labour having voted down the bill today, we know that there are members who recognise the need for this legislation but were not allowed to demonstrate this owing to the Labour whip on this vote.
âWe will continue to fight for this bill in the Chamber, for the sake of those who continue not receive the support and recognition they both need and deserve.â
Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health, Angela Burns AM, said:
âWhile it was disappointing to see Labour blocking todayâs much-needed Bill, it was gratifying to see so many other Members from different parties achieving consensus on this issue.
âIt cannot be right that the needs of such a significant portion of the population go unmet and itâs high time that Labour acknowledged this.
âIt is vital that we continue to drive this Bill forward, so that Wales can reassert itself as a vanguard of autism.â
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