To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales are known to suffer from autism; what measures are being taken to provide support and treatment to those children in Wales who suffer from autism; and if he will make a statement.

Although detailed information is not held centrally, it is believed that autistic disorders affect between 2,500 and 5,000 people in Wales.Financial assistance is provided, under the mental handicap strategy, for the development of services for people with autism where these have been identified as priorities by county joint planning teams.