Answers to the Written Assembly Questions for answer on 9 February 2010

[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 and Lifelong Learning

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport

Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing

Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

To ask the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning

Nerys Evans (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister confirm whether a supply teacher can be legally employed by a Local Education Authority and paid at an hourly rate set by the school. (WAQ55578)

Answer issued on 10 February 2010

Supply teachers can be employed by local authorities, and their names included on the local supply register. All qualified teachers, including supply teachers, employed by a local authority or a maintained school are paid in accordance with the statutory Schools Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. If they work on a part time basis, the hourly rate set by their employer should be in line with these conditions. Teachers’ pay has not been devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government and remains the responsibility of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Nerys Evans (Mid and West Wales): When will the Welsh Assembly Government be publishing the Federation of Maintained Schools Regulations. (WAQ55581) W

Answer issued on 10 February 2010

I intend to consider the draft regulations this month and will, if content, make them by the negative resolution procedure thereafter.

To ask the Minister for the Economy and Transport

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister list the actual amount each Local Authority will receive from the recently announced £2.75m to repair potholes and will he confirm that this sum is in addition to the £5m announced for the Local Road Maintenance Grant in December 2009. (WAQ55577)

Answer issued on 16 February 2010

£15m Capital Road Maintenance Grant was allocated for 2009-10 plus £2.75m of additional revenue funding as a result of the recent adverse weather conditions. Attached is a table showing the amounts allocated to each Local Authority. This has been calculated using the Standard Spending Assessment formula.

£5m Capital road maintenance grant has been allocated for 2010-11.

To ask the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing

Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): Will the Minister make a statement on funding for environmentally friendly housing co-operatives for rental purposes. (WAQ55582) Transferred for answer by the Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration

Answer issued on 10 February 2010

The Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration (Jocelyn Davies): The Welsh Assembly Government continues to encourage the development of Co-operative organisations, Community Land Trusts and environmentally friendly housing projects that contribute to Sustainable Development. Our work in these areas is targeted at delivering Affordable Homes, with a mix of tenure, built for local people.

Ministers and officials have visited a number of companies in Wales which use Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) capable of delivering high environmental standards. However, the delivery of affordable houses takes place at a local level mainly through Registered Social Landlords working with their partners. Therefore the first point of contact for any new proposal would be an RSL through whom the vast majority of capital expenditure on housing in Wales is channelled.

The Welsh Assembly promotes the development of Community Land Trusts in Wales. To this end, we provide financial support of £50k per annum (2008/09 - 2011/12) to Land for People, from the Rural Development Fund. Community Land Trusts have become more widely publicised and schemes are being developed across Wales. A bilingual handbook is being produced by Land for People to promote Community Land Trusts throughout Wales.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Alun Cairns (South Wales West): Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Assembly Government’s moratorium on hospital closures. (WAQ55579)

Alun Cairns (South Wales West): What plans does the Minister have to change the Welsh Assembly Government’s policy towards hospital closure. (WAQ55580)

Answer issued on 09 February 2010

The moratorium on hospital closures was a commitment the Assembly Government gave AMs following the 2007 election. This was intended to be temporary to allow time for me to consider the service changes being proposed by Trusts and Local Health Boards (LHBs) and the appropriate process for taking these forward.  A number of reviews were commissioned and at their conclusion the moratorium was lifted.  

Drawing on their findings and recommendations, I issued revised guidance in October 2008 (ML016/08), which sets out the Assembly Government’s requirements for consultation and engagement on service changes such as hospital closures.  Decisions on service provision lie with LHBs, which are responsible for reviewing and developing services for their residents. The guidance requires any contested service changes to be referred to me for final determination.  

The guidance will be reconsidered once the current phase of NHS reforms is completed.