Textual Amendments
3C.—(1) The Department must appoint a person as the autism reviewer.
(2) The autism reviewer must not be a person employed by the Department or a Northern Ireland department.
(3) The autism reviewer is not subject to the direction or control of the Department or the Northern Ireland departments.
(4) But this is subject to the requirement under this section for the Department to pay the autism reviewer’s expenses and allowances.
(5) The reviewer must issue a report annually on the exercise of their functions, and may issue additional reports.
(6) The reviewer must send any report to the Department.
(7) On receiving the report, the Department must lay it before the Assembly.
(8) The Department must pay the reviewer expenses and allowances which are reasonably necessary in order to allow the reviewer to carry out their functions.
3D. The functions of the autism reviewer are—
(a)to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the autism strategy,
(b)to assess the efficacy of the funding arrangements in respect of autism,
(c)to keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness of the law and practice relating to autism,
(d)to keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness of services provided for persons with autism, their families and carers,
(e)to commission independent research on best international practice on autism,
(f)to advise the Assembly, if requested, on matters relating to autism, and
(g)any other function which the Department may confer upon the reviewer.]