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Written Assembly Questions tabled on 26 June 2015 for answer on 3 July 2015

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

Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire): Will the Minister confirm how long Wales has been a signatory of the memorandum of understanding on Subnational Global Climate Leadership and explain:

a) What outcomes have been realised as a result of being a signatory; and

b) How many meetings has the Welsh Government attended as a result of being a signatory? (WAQ68883)

Answer received on 7 July 2015

The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant):

Wales became a founding signatory of the Memorandum of Understanding on Subnational Global Climate Leadership on 19 May 2015.

The MOU formally recognises the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, and specifically that global temperature rise must be limited to two-degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid impacts that pose a threat to humanity and could lead to irreversible climate change.

In signing the MoU, we are building on our existing Programme for Government commitments to help drive the transition to a low carbon economy and improve Wales' resilience to the impacts of climate change.  Wales has already been recognised as an international exemplar in relation to sustainable development, and I am committed to ensuring that Wales continues to play its part on the world stage by contributing to international negotiations on climate change and acting as an exemplar to other small states and regions.

Following the signing of the MOU 7 weeks ago, early work has commenced to develop the networks needed to share and enable good practice to accelerate delivery against our wider commitments.

Aside from the signatory meeting of the MoU in May, the Welsh Government has attended no further meetings.

To ask the Minister for Finance

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister detail how much money the Welsh Government has given to Tidal Energy Ltd for the project at Pembroke Dock and what additional financial support is to be given to complete the project? (WAQ68880)

Answer received on 7 July 2015

The Minister for Finance (Jane Hutt): Tidal Energy Ltd has been supported by EU funds 2007-2013 worth nearly £7.99 million for its £13.41m DeltaStream Demonstration Stage 2 project based in Ramsey Sound, Pembrokeshire.  

EU funds of £7.99m, which includes an additional £1.5 million awarded by the Welsh European Funding Office in April 2013 to extend EU project delivery timescales to help address deployment issues, is the maximum amount of public investment under State aid rules. The Company is therefore fully aware that any further financial support needs to come from private sources.

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister outline what discussions she or her officials have had with Tidal Energy Ltd into the delayed deployment of the 150-tonne DeltaStream turbine in Pembroke Dock? (WAQ68881)

Answer received on 7 July 2015

Jane Hutt: The Welsh European Funding Office has regular reviews with all projects supported with EU funds to monitor progress.  WEFO is aware of delays with the deployment of the Deltastream device and is in ongoing dialog with the project sponsor, Tidal Energy Limited, and its key stakeholders to work towards the successful deployment of the device this year.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide the lifetime cost to the public purse, providing a year by year breakdown, of Public Health Wales's 'Cooking Bus'? (WAQ68882)

Answer received on 7 July 2015

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): When operated under a Welsh Government grant the cost of construction, running and maintenance of the cooking bus vehicle was as follows