Answers issued to Members on 24 July 2009
[R] signifies that the Member has declared an interest.
[W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
Contents
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport
Brynle Williams (North Wales): What assessment has the Welsh Assembly Government made of the value of illegal economic activity in North Wales and its impact on the wider economy? (WAQ54558)
The Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport (Ieuan Wyn Jones): No official estimate has been made of the value of illegal activity to the economy in North Wales.
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): How is the additional funding (i.e. Beyond the £40,000 per local authority) being allocated from within the £1.8m ringfenced for delivery of the ASD Strategic Action Plan? (WAQ54572)
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister make a statement on her plans regarding assessment and diagnostic services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder? (WAQ54573)
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): What progress has been made on the ASD Strategic Action Plan’s priority of the 'development of awareness raising materials aimed at the range of practitioners and agencies that work in the field’? (WAQ54574)
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister make a statement on progress toward the ASD Strategic Action Plan’s key national action of 'development of a consistent structure to improve access to assessment and diagnosis across the age range in Wales’? (WAQ54575)
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Edwina Hart): A core grant of £40,000 was made available to each Local Authority to be used specifically to provide focus, direction and co-ordination for autism planning, development and provision at local level across all ages and all sectors. Further resources will be available for the development of local or regional services, subject to the outcome of the analysis of local action plans being undertaken by the regional ASD Team based within the Social Services Improvement Agency and the ASD Implementation Manager for the Welsh Assembly Government. Resources will also be made available for the development of ASD awareness-raising packages and diagnosis and immediate post-diagnostic support to children and adults with ASD.
Improvement in access to assessment and diagnosis across the age range remains a key national action for this current financial year. The ASD Adults Task & Finish Group was asked to investigate and evaluate evidence for effective interventions and models of service for adults with autism. They recognised that the development of ASD adult assessment and diagnostic provision could not be planned in isolation from children’s diagnostic services. Their report, which will include a recommendation regarding children’s assessment and diagnostic services, is expected during the summer.
The process to develop a range of awareness-raising materials has commenced and a standards panel has been appointed. The three ASD Regional Support Officers within the SSIA, together with representatives from the National Autistic Society and Autism Cymru, have been invited to lead workgroups to develop these materials, which will be produced over the next 6 to 9 months. This literature will be available in hard copy and also on-line, via a public information website called 'ASD Matters’, which is currently under development. The site will contain a copy of the ASD Strategic Action Plan for Wales, all awareness-raising materials, newsletters and examples of good practice. It is hoped to launch this website in the autumn.