Written Assembly Questions tabled on 28 April 2014 for answer on 6 May 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 First Minister
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the First Minister provide the total FTE staff numbers across the Welsh Government for each of the last 5 years, including total staffing costs for each year? (WAQ66749)
Answer received on 1 May 2014
The First Minister of Wales (Carwyn Jones): Staffing within the Welsh Government is a matter for the Permanent Secretary. I have asked him to write to you separately with the information you have requested.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): With reference to WAQ66505, will the First Minister disclose the total estimated staffing costs (e.g. salary, national insurance and pension contributions) for the 97.2 FTE staff members? (WAQ66750)
Answer received on 1 May 2014
The First Minister of Wales (Carwyn Jones): Staffing within the Welsh Government is a matter for the Permanent Secretary. I have asked him to write to you separately with the information you have requested.
To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister release a detailed breakdown of annual expenditure on the subsidised first class train carriage on the Holyhead to Cardiff route, including an additional figure for the cost of employing a chef or any other staff? (WAQ66752)
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide the total number of passengers who have travelled First Class on the Holyhead to Cardiff route in each of the last three years, including average subsidy per passenger? (WAQ66753)
Answer received on 2 May 2014 (WAQ66752/3)
The Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): General information about subsidy and passenger numbers is published regularly by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How does the Minister intend to measure the progress in the areas he has outlined for improvement regarding the Central South Wales regional consortium? (WAQ66744)
Answer received on 6 May 2014
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis): I wrote to all cabinet leads for consortia (copied to consortia managing directors, lead directors and lead chief executives) in April following submission of the consortia business plans. Whilst I advised in those letters that I endorsed the general approach to each of the consortium’s business plans, I also highlighted areas for development for each of the consortium to address.
My officials have discussed the areas for development with officers and I expect revised plans to be with me in May.
Moving forward my officials will hold three challenge and review sessions each year with consortia to measure progress and impact. I intend to chair the session in the autumn term.
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How does the Minister intend to measure the progress in the areas he has outlined for improvement regarding the South West Wales regional consortium? (WAQ66745)
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How does the Minister intend to measure the progress in the areas he has outlined for improvement regarding the North Wales regional consortium? (WAQ66746)
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How does the Minister intend to measure the progress in the areas he has outlined for improvement regarding the South West and Mid Wales regional consortium? (WAQ66747)
Answer received on 6 May 2014 (WAQ66745-7)
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis): I wrote to all cabinet leads for consortia (copied to consortia managing directors, lead directors and lead chief executives) in April following submission of the consortia business plans. Whilst I advised in those letters that I endorsed the general approach to each of the consortium’s business plans, I also highlighted areas for development for each of the consortium to address.
My officials have discussed the areas for development with officers and I expect revised plans to be with me in May.
Moving forward my officials will hold three challenge and review sessions each year with consortia to measure progress and impact. I intend to chair the session in the autumn term.
To ask the Minister for Finance
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister disclose total spending for each of the last three financial years on advertising, providing a breakdown for each channel or medium on which advertising was purchased? (WAQ66751)
Answer received on 7 May 2014
The Minister for Finance (Jane Hutt): The table below shows the value of spend on advertising for the last three financial years. The breakdown for each channel or medium on which advertising was purchased could only be provided by going through individual departmental records to identify specific instances. Due to the disproportionate cost that would be involved in its collection, this therefore cannot be provided.
| Year | Spend (£) |
| 2011/12 | 2,450,983 |
| 2012/13 | 3,845,277 |
| 2013/14 | 3,877,454 |
(The 2013/14 amount is a draft figure)
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on absence management in the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the impact of staff absences on the ability of the service to meet its performance targets? (WAQ66742)
Answer received on 9 May 2014
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The Welsh Government recognises the importance of improving the health and well being of staff and managing sickness absence. To support this, all Health Boards and Trusts, including the Welsh Ambulance Service, have developed action plans aimed at improving the management of sickness absence.
The Welsh Ambulance Service introduced an employee wellbeing service in February 2013 and the internal Occupational Health Service commenced in November 2013. The Trust was also awarded the Invest to Save fund to commission and operate two mobile Occupational Health Units. The Trust achieved the first level of the Corporate Health Standard in March, and intends to seek the second level within the year.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister publish the advice and/or guidance provided to the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust regarding absence management following recent performance against targets? (WAQ66743)
Answer received on 7 May 2014
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The Welsh Government recognises the importance of improving the health and well being of staff and managing sickness absence. To support this, all Health Boards and Trusts, including the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS trust are engaged in the Corporate Health Standard programme, which encourages and supports active steps to maintain and improve the health and well being of staff. Health Boards and Trusts have also developed action plans, aimed at improving the management of sickness absence.
The programme level bid to reduce sickness absence in NHS Wales was approved for funding by the Invest to Save Scheme on 15 April. The bid includes a project to improve access to occupational health services in the Wales Ambulance Service Trust.
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the development of new arrangements for supporting ILF users in Wales from April 2015 and details of the consultation? (WAQ66748)
Answer received on 2 May 2014
The Deputy Minister for Social Services (Gwenda Thomas AM): The UK Government’s Minister for Disabled People, the Rt. Hon. Mike Penning MP, has confirmed the ILF is now closing on 30 June 2015. After a request from me he has recently provided the detail of this revised closure as it applies to Wales. I am considering this and, following an initial discussion with stakeholder representatives, will be consulting shortly on the future options to meet the care and support needs of ILF recipients in Wakes once the ILF has closed.
To ask the Minister for Local Government and Government Business
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What consideration has the Minister given to the appointment of a Veterans’ Commissioner for Wales? (WAQ66741)
Answer received on 7 May 2014
The Minister for Local Government and Government Business (Lesley Griffiths): I have not given any consideration to the appointment of a Veteran’s Commissioner for Wales.