Answers to the Written Assembly Questions for answer on 2 November 2009

[R] signifies that the Member has declared an interest.
[W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.

Contents

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government

To ask the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Jenny Randerson (Cardiff Central): How much money is the Minister intending to allocate to the Graduate Recruitment Scheme announced as part of the recent review of student funding, and when will it be introduced. (WAQ55037)

Answer issued on 06 November 2009

A projection of the funds to be released to fund the scheme is as follows:

2013-2014 - £500,000

2014-2015 - £1,000,000

2015-2016 - £1,000,000.

As I announced in my statement on the 18 March this will encourage new graduates to take up employment in Wales. This scheme will be developed in partnership with Welsh employers, the Wales Employment and Skills Board and the sector skills councils.

This scheme will be introduced in time for the start of academic year 2013/14.

Jenny Randerson (Cardiff Central): How much money is the Minister intending to allocate to the National Bursary framework and the introduction of targeted bursaries and scholarships announced as part of the recent of student funding and when will it be introduced. (WAQ55038)

Answer issued on 3 November 2009

Please refer to my response to WAQ54809 issued on 28 September 2009.

Jenny Randerson (Cardiff Central): How much money is the Minister intending to allocate to writing off student debt announced as part of the recent review of student funding and when will it be introduced. (WAQ55039)

Answer issued on 03 November 2009

As part of the draft budget for 2010-2011, I have allocated an additional £7.9m to the Maintenance Loan Resource Budgeting Provision.

As I announced in my statement on the18 March this will provide students who take out a living costs loan from Welsh Ministers in 2010/2011 with a partial cancellation of up to £1,500 when they make their first compulsory loan repayment.

The scheme will be introduced in time for the start of the 2010/2011 academic year with legislation being presented to the Assembly in January or February 2010.   

Jenny Randerson (Cardiff Central): Does the Minister have plans to provide financial support for film clubs in schools, following the pilot schemes run in 17 schools by Film Agency for Wales. (WAQ55040)

Answer issued on 03 November 2009

Film Club gives pupils and teachers the chance to explore the world of film through after school film clubs. I know they can inspire, excites and opens up new avenues of learning for learners.

The Film Agency for Wales are the main funders of the pilots in Wales, they  presently  receives core funding from Creative Business Wales part of the Welsh Assembly. Government A review of the creative industries in Wales, is currently being undertaken by Professor Ian Hargreaves, He is looking at a number of areas including  future funding for the sector. The outcome of this review is not expected until early next year.  

Given the present difficult financial position there are no plans to provide additional  support for film clubs from the education budget.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister make a statement on the progress towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Routledge Report on Improving the Availability of Medicines for Patients in Wales. (WAQ55041)

Answer issued on 03 November 2009

I established an Implementation Group to take forward the findings of the Routledge Report. The Group has identified the core issues for action and allocated tasks to members. Some of the recommendations have already been completed, for example the adoption by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) of supplementary advice relating to life-extending/end of life treatments published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence earlier this year.

The Group has further considered other key issues including the potential broadening of the remit of the AWMSG to appraise all new medicines in Wales; the development of a proposed model for dealing with requests from individual patients for treatment funding; and, training for health professionals to help them effectively communicate with patients about difficult decisions around the risks and benefits of different treatments.

The Chair has recently produced an interim report on the progress of implementing the recommendations and I am expecting the final report in March 2010.

Peter Black (South Wales West): How many individuals within the Welsh NHS whose posts have been reorganised have salaries that are protected at their old rate. (WAQ55043)

Answer issued on 19 January 2010

This information is not held centrally. Details of individual staff members are matter for the individual NHS organisations.

Peter Black (South Wales West): How many NHS staff have been made redundant as a result of the NHS re-organisation. (WAQ55044)

Answer issued on 19 January 2010

None.

Peter Black (South Wales West): How much money did the Minister allocate for redundancy payments and associated costs in preparing for the NHS re-organisation. (WAQ55045)

Peter Black (South Wales West): How much money has been spent on redundancy payments and associated costs as a result of the NHS re-organisation. (WAQ55046)

Answer issued on 19 January 2010

None. It is the policy of NHS Wales to ensure that the NHS retains the valuable knowledge, skills and experience of its workforce by utilising a number of strategies to assist displaced staff to find suitable alternative employment and / or retraining opportunities, which will enable them to continue to contribute positively to the service.

Peter Black (South Wales West): How much has been spent in total by the Welsh NHS on the salaries of Executives, Directors and Executive Board Members for each financial year since 2005/06 and what is the projected spend for this for 2009/10. (WAQ55047)

Answer issued on 03 November 2009

The accounts you have requested are in the public domain and can be accessed at: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-guide-docs-pub/bus-business-documents/bus-business-documents-doc-laid.htm?ds=3%2F2006&submit=Submit

LD6304 - NHS (Wales) Summarised Accounts 2005-2006

Laid Wednesday, 17 January 2007

GEN-LD6795 - NHS Wales Summarised Accounts 2006-2007

Laid Wednesday, 12 September 2007

GEN-LD7205 - NHS (Wales) Summarised Accounts 2007-2008

Laid Thursday, 21 August 2008

Figures for the projected spend for 2009/10 are not held centrally.

Peter Black (South Wales West): Will the Minister confirm that any staff whose role has changed as a result of re-organisation will have their salary adjusted accordingly. (WAQ55048)

Answer issued on 19 January 2010

All staff whose roles have changed as a result of the reorganisation will treated in line with the provisions of the Organisational Change Policy for the NHS Wales, which was developed in partnership with the Trade Unions.  The full document can be found on the Welsh Assembly Government website at: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/health/nhswales/partnershipforum/?lang=en

Peter Black (South Wales West): Will the Minister confirm that all former Senior Managers (Executives, Directors and Executive Board Members) employed by the former NHS Trusts and Local Health Boards are now employed in new roles or have left the employ of the Welsh NHS. (WAQ55049)

Peter Black (South Wales West): What percentage of former Local Health Board and NHS Trust Senior Managers (Executives, Directors and Executive Board Members from prior to re-organisation) are still employed within the Welsh NHS and how many people is this. (WAQ55050)

Answer issued on 19 January 2010

I can confirm that with the exception of staff who have retired or resigned all former Senior Managers (Executives, Directors and Executive Board Members) employed by the former NHS Trusts and Local Health Boards remain employed in the NHS either in new roles or engaged in meaningful work whilst organisational structures are being developed.  Arrangements for the management of organisational change are set out in the the "Organisational Change Policy for the NHS Wales” which was developed in partnership with Trade unions. This document can be found on the Welsh Assembly Government’s website at: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/health/nhswales/partnershipforum/?lang=en

To ask the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government

Jenny Randerson (Cardiff Central): How is the Welsh Assembly Government’s 'Community Asset Transfer Programme’ being funded. (WAQ55042)

Answer issued on 04 November 2009

The Deputy Minister for Regeneration (Leighton Andrews):The Community Asset Transfer Programme is jointly funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the BIG Lottery Fund. We have up to £13million available to invest in projects across Wales.  The Welsh Assembly Government will contribute up to £8million and the BIG Lottery Fund up to £6million to the total fund.  In addition to the grant programme, a support contract will also be put in place for applicants, the details of this are currently being agreed.