17/9/2002

A petition calling for further research into the causes of autism was delivered to the National Assembly for Wales today.

It coincides with identical petitions being delivered, at the same time, to 10 Downing Street, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Irish Dail.

Oliver Loch, a six-year-old schoolboy who has been diagnosed as autistic presented the petition. His parents, Peter and Julie Loch, are members of Autism Research Campaign for Health (ARCH), England and Wales, who along with Action Against Autism, Scotland, have organised this petition.

“I believe we need to clearly establish or eliminate the factors that cause autism,” said William Graham AM at the presentation.

“I emphasise that the current vaccination is the best way to ensure children are protected from measles, mumps and rubella. However, we must appreciate that if the trend in the low uptake of the MMR vaccine threatens a measles epidemic, parents must be given the option of choosing separate vaccines.”

He said that he was disappointed that neither Jane Hutt, the Minister for Health, or Brian Gibbons, the Deputy Minister will be available to receive this petition.