Written Assembly Questions tabled on 24 November 2014 for answer on 1 December 2014
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): What discussions has the Minister had with water utilities companies to ensure that a lack of capacity in their water and sewerage systems is not a barrier to the development of affordable homes? (WAQ68060)
Answer received on 28 November 2014
The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant): I have regular discussions with the water and sewerage undertakers in Wales, and met with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water last week where I discussed their role in contributing to future housing developments.
Water and sewerage undertakers are required to produce water resource management plans, on a 5 year cycle, which provide a forward look of supply and demand needs over 25 years, and take account of future capacity requirements.
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government will ensure the new planning legislation will assist in the development of more affordable homes? (WAQ68061)
Answer received on 2 December 2014
The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant): A number of detailed reviews of the planning system have been undertaken with the aim of improving the delivery of housing. This work is now being taken forward as part of the Planning (Wales) Bill and the related Positive Planning proposals. The aim of these proposals is to ensure the planning system is an enabler of appropriate development that supports national, local and community objectives, including the delivery of affordable homes.
To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): What sustainable play opportunities within local communities have been created in north Wales with Welsh Government and National Lottery Play Development funding? (WAQ68062)
Answer received on 2 December 2014
The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Lesley Griffiths): The Welsh Government provides a range of funding to Local Authorities in Wales which can be used to create sustainable play opportunities. This includes the Out of School Childcare Grant and the Families First Grant programme, through which over £2.7m has been allocated for 2012 – 2017. For the North Wales area we also provided funding of £290,947 in 2013-14 through the Increasing Play Opportunities Grant.
The Big Lottery Child’s Play Programme has contributed £13m over a period of years to enhance opportunities for children to play in Wales. I do not hold details of the projects delivered using this funding, but this can be obtained from the Big Lottery itself.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the current number of cancer patients from Wales receiving treatment within NHS England, and the number of cancer patients from England receiving treatment in Welsh hospitals? (WAQ68063)
Answer received on 2 December 2014
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): Numbers of patients currently receiving treatment are not routinely available.
From the start of 2014 to the end of September, 12,047 patients started their first treatment in Wales whilst 1,020 patients from Wales started treatment in England. For many of these their treatment will have finished.
The number of English patients treated in Wales in the period Aug 2013 - July 2014 was 246.
Source
Stats Wales for Welsh figures, PHE for English figures and NWIS
Notes
The figures for patients treated in England include all cancers rather than just the first treatment, as is recorded in Wales.