The Fight for a Wales Autism Bill Isn’t Over: We're Taking Our Campaign to the Public

CaptainGingerBeard

Hello everyone,

I'm writing to you today with a crucial update on my campaign for a new Wales Autism Bill. As many of you know, my recent Senedd petition to resurrect the Autism Bill 2019 was formally rejected by the Petitions Committee, despite gathering 597 signatures. The Senedd's position is that they already have a Statutory Code of Practice and that autism-specific legislation is not required.

However, this battle is far from over. The Welsh Government's own correspondence admits that "referral demand is not reducing, and services still do not have capacity to meet this ever-increasing demand". This is a critical failure. The Code of Practice is not legally binding and cannot enforce accountability or provide penalties for public services that fall short. As Mark Isherwood MS, who first tabled the bill in 2016, warned, the Code can be "ignored or deliberately misinterpreted by too many in positions of power".

With the Senedd elections in 2026, now is the time to bring this issue back to the forefront. A new Autism Bill would place services on a statutory footing, ensuring accountability and tackling unacceptably long waiting times. We are now taking this campaign to the public on Change.org.

I am asking for your help. Please take a moment to sign and share the petition with your networks. Every signature and every share adds pressure and sends a clear message to all political parties that the autism community in Wales deserves a binding legal framework.

https://chng.it/DnhqbHNw8g