Written Assembly Questions tabled on 31 October 2016 for answer on 7 November 2016
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 Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): How many businesses, in the last 3 financial years, have received Welsh Government grants of £1million or more? (WAQ71349)
Answer received on 11 November 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): Welsh Government expenditure over £25,000 is published monthly on our website. This includes data on business area, payment date, description and amount.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): For each of the last 3 financial years, what is the value of trade between Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland? (WAQ71350)
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): What percentage of Welsh exports went to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, each year for the last 3 financial years? (WAQ71351)
Answer received on 4 November 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): There are currently no official statistics on trade between Wales and the rest of the UK. Researchers have developed estimates in the past but the level of integration between the economies makes the measurement of trade between Wales and the rest of the UK a challenging task. Understanding these supply chain issues is critically important following the decision to leave the EU and is being pursued as a priority.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): Will the Minister summarise the total spend on autism services in Wales in the last financial year, and provide details and a breakdown of that spend? (WAQ71342)
Answer received on 7 November 2016
The Minister for Social Services and Public Health (Rebecca Evans): The Welsh Government does not routinely collect information on the total spend on autism services in Wales. For 2015/16 we provided £2,546,670 to support autism and neurodevelopmental services. This breaks down as £48,735 core funding for the National Autistic Society, £380,852, for the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) to support the delivery of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder Strategic Action Plan, £78,180 for local authority partnerships to host ASD Community Monitoring Support Posts, £15,060 for the Employment Ambassador role and £23,843 to support the Anchor Companies Autism Employment Programme pilot. £2 million is also provided on an annual basis to health boards to develop dedicated neurodevelopmental diagnostic and treatment services, supported by the NHS’s Together for Children and Young People Programme (T4CYP).
From this year we are committing more than £9.5 million additional funding to improve the lives of people with autism. £6 million to support the delivery of the National Integrated Autism Service across Wales, over £1.53 million for the WLGA to support the delivery of the refreshed Autistic Spectrum Disorder Strategic Action Plan and the National Integrated Autism Service up to 2019.
£2 million will also continue to health board neurodevelopmental services supported by the T4CYP programme and there will be a further £24,230 for the Anchor Companies project.
Mohammad Asghar (South Wales East): What sources of funding are available to provide all weather sports pitch surfaces for sporting clubs in Wales? (WAQ71343)
Answer received on 4 November 2016
The Minister for Social Services and Public Health (Rebecca Evans): Funding for all-weather artificial turf pitches in Wales is potentially available through a number of sources. Sport Wales, together with the Welsh Football Trust, the Welsh Rugby Union and Welsh Hockey has established the Collaborative Sports Facilities Group to provide a strong sporting voice to inform the major pitch-sports facilities landscape in Wales. The Group implements a programme of investment in full size artificial playing surfaces and report that the number of completed 3G pitches up to the end of 2016 is 63 with a further 10 planned for 2017.
Other potential sources of investment in artificial turf pitches include the Welsh Government's 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, the Community Facilities Programme and Vibrant and Viable Places. Support may also be available from local community funds linked to wind farm developments and landfill sites.
In addition, through the Sports Facilities Capital Loan Scheme, the Welsh Government has supported projects in Cardiff and Conwy which include the provision of new artificial turf pitches.
Mohammad Asghar (South Wales East): What sources of funding are available to provide equipment for the development of adult participation in sports in Wales? (WAQ71344)
Answer received on 4 November 2016
Rebecca Evans: Sport Wales, our key delivery agent on sport, provide a range of services and advice to help adults and young people to participate in sport. There are specific schemes available which are aimed at providing equipment, these include Development Grants and also via the Community Chest programme.
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How many full time midwife positions are: a. filled and b. vacant, in each of Wales' health boards, and how does this compare with each previous year, for the last 3 years? (WAQ71352)
Answer received on 8 November 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): It is the responsibility of health boards to make sure that workforce establishments are sufficient to meet local needs, and also that any vacancies are managed in order to maintain service provision.
All health boards are required to use a workforce tool, Birthrate Plus. All health boards with the exception of one are currently compliant.
Data regarding staff vacancy rates for midwifery posts is not collected nor held centrally.
The number of midwives in each health board over the last three years can be found in the most recent published data release from StatsWales, which provides data as at 30 September. A table illustrating this data is provided below:
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
| Number of Registered Midwives* (FTE) | 1245.3 | 1316.2 | 1319.0 |
* Includes midwives working in neonatal services.
https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/NHS-Staff/Non-Medical-Staff/Nursing-Midwifery-and-Health-Visitors/nursingstaff-by-grade-year
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): What is the current midwife to birth ratio in each of Wales' hospitals and how does this compare with previous years, for the last 3 years? (WAQ71353)
Answer received on 11 November 2016
Vaughan Gething: Available data held at Health Board level are shown below:
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): What recent discussions has the Minister had with local authorities about the expectations and duties placed on them by the Equality Act 2010 and the Wales-specific equality duties from 2011? (WAQ71345)
Answer received on 11 November 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children (Carl Sargeant): I have had no recent discussions with local authorities about the expectations and duties placed on them by the Equality Act 2010 and the Wales-specific equality duties from 2011, but my officials keep me fully informed of their discussions with local authorities on these issues.
However, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government wrote to Chief Executives and Directors of Finance of County and County Borough Councils, and the Welsh Local Government Association on 19 October, announcing details of the Provisional Local Government Revenue and Capital Settlements for 2017-18. This included guidance on their equality duties.
A copy of the letter can be found online here: http://gov.wales/docs/dsjlg/publications/localgov/161019-settlement-2017-18-letter-en.pdf
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): What advice, assistance, guidance, or clarification has been sought by local authorities from the Welsh Government about their duties and what is expected of them in relation to the Equality Act 2010 and Wales-specific duties from 2011? (WAQ71346)
Answer receievd on 11 November 2016
Carl Sargeant: I am not aware that any advice, assistance, guidance, or clarification has been sought by local authorities from the Welsh Government about their duties and what is expected of them in relation to the Equality Act 2010 and Wales-specific duties from 2011 since the Assembly elections in May. However, there has been an ongoing funding programme for providing training to elected members and staff.
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): What advice, assistance, guidance, or clarification has the Minister given to local authorities in relation to their duties stemming from the Equality Act 2010 and Wales-specific duties from 2011? (WAQ71347)
Answer receievd on 11 November 2016
Carl Sargeant: During 2015-2016 the Welsh Government provided funding for training Local Authority members and officials on disability equality and awareness and on the new responsibilities of local authorities in relation to Gypsies and Travellers.
In addition, the Strategic Equality Plan, to be published by the end of this year, contains an action for local authorities to work collaboratively with employers to seek to broaden the range of people who can, in practice, stand for election.
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): What continuous monitoring is the Welsh Government carrying out to make sure that the expectations and requirements relating to the Equality Act 2010 and Wales-specific duties from 2011 placed on local authorities are delivered correctly throughout the whole of Wales? (WAQ71348)
Answer receievd on 11 November 2016
Carl Sargeant: The Equality and Human Rights Commission in Wales has the role of regulator of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales and it monitors the impact of the Public Sector Equality Duty and the Welsh Specific Duties. The Commission’s monitoring report on Local Authorities in turn informs the Welsh Ministers’ Report.