Written Assembly Questions tabled on 3 December 2014 for answer on 10 December 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
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What guidance does the Welsh Government provide to special advisers in relation to supporting backbench Assembly Members with items such as the drafting of speeches, articles or questions? (WAQ68100)
Answer received 10 December 2014
The First Minister of Wales (Carwyn Jones): There is no such guidance.
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister advise what post inspection works have commenced, as regards the emergency coastal defence works carried out in March 2014 to the North Shore beach replenishment works, providing full details of said inspection? (WAQ68103)
Answer received 10 December 2014
The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant): Conwy Council have confirmed that inspections of the coastal defences in Llandudno were carried out on the following dates:
- 9th April 2014 (during the works)
- 17th July 2014 (post works)
- 14th November 2014 (post works)
These inspections highlighted low priority remedial works that were required such as chipped surfaces on beach access steps and deterioration along the bandstand area.
In addition to these inspections, topographic surveys have been carried out in Spring and Autumn 2014 and have found the beach levels to be fairly stable.
Conwy Council also carried out re-profiling works at the beginning of November following high tides which created a steep ridge in the shingle.
To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister make a statement on the number of asylum-seekers / refugees currently residing in Aberconwy? (WAQ68101)
Answer received on 10 December 2014
The Minister for Communties and Tackling Poverty (Lesley Griffiths): Dispersal of asylum seekers is the responsibility of the Home Office and it holds information on the number of asylum seekers residing in Aberconwy.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister make a statement on the number of asylum-seekers / refugees currently residing in Wales? (WAQ68102)
Answer received 10 December 2014
The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Lesley Griffiths): Dispersal of asylum seekers is the responsibility of the Home Office and it holds information on the number of asylum seekers residing in Wales.
To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): What are the implications for motorists of the forthcoming £40 million investment in the Brynglas tunnels? (WAQ68097)
Answer received on 8 December 2014
Y Gweinidog yr Economi, Gwyddoniaeth a Thrafnidiaeth (Edwina Hart): Traffic management requirements will be considered at the detailed design stage, once a contractor has been appointed.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide an update on the design guidance to accompany the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013, following the closure of the consultation on 4 August? (WAQ68098)
Answer received on 10 December 2014
The Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): The Design Guidance will be launched on 9 December
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister confirm if she or her officials have met with Transport for London, and if she has, could she confirm if contactless ticketing has been discussed? (WAQ68099)
Answer received on 10 December 2014
The Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): Officials have not met with Transport for London. They are however in discussion with a number of suppliers that provide smart and contactless ticketing solutions.
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister advise as to how many of the 22 local authority leaders in Wales have attended the Partnership Council for Wales since the start of this Assembly term, providing the names of those who have attended during this time? (WAQ68104)
Answer received on 10 December 2014
The Minister for Public Services (Leighton Andrews): The Partnership Council for Wales has met on 5 occasions since May 2011. The minutes of the meetings are published on the Welsh Government website at this link:
Welsh Government | Agendas, minutes and papers
During the period, the following Local Authority Leaders have attended the meetings on at least one occasion:
Cllr John Davies, Pembrokeshire County Council
Cllr Hugh Evans, Denbighshire County Council
Cllr Des Hillman, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
Cllr Alun Thomas, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Cllr Michael Jones, Powys County Council
Cllr Gordon Kemp, Vale of Glamorgan Council
Cllr Dyfed Edwards, Gwynedd Council
Cllr Peter Fox, Monmouthshire County Council
Cllr Dilwyn Roberts, Conwy County Borough Council
Cllr Meryl Gravell, Carmarthenshire County Council
Cllr Matthew Evans, Newport City Council
Cllr Rodney Berman, Cardiff Council
Cllr John Mason, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
Cllr Bob Wellington, Torfaen County Borough Council
Cllr Anthony Christopher, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Cllr Neil Moore, Vale of Glamorgan Council
Cllr Mel Nott, Bridgend County Borough Council
Cllr Aaron Shotton, Flintshire County Council
Cllr Andrew Morgan, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): How does the Welsh Government ensure that the 1 per cent additional funding allocated in the schools budget actually reaches schools? (WAQ68105)
Answer received on 10 December 2014
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis): The "1%" is not 1% additional budget allocated to schools, rather a 1% protection above the change in the block grant received from the UK Government. For example for 2015-16, the Welsh DEL will have reduced by -0.4% between 2014-15 and 2015-16, therefore the budget for schools has increased by 0.6%.
Local Authorities evidence delivery of the protection through annual monitoring forms, showing a percentage increase on budgeted spend from the previous year, as adjusted to make them comparable (primarily for changes in pupil numbers).
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Will the Minister explain why schools are seeing a cut in funding when the schools budget has been protected and increased by the Welsh Government? (WAQ68106)
Answer received on 10 December 2014
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis): Funding for this protection is given through the Revenue Support Grant and the Education and Skills MEG. Our commitment to protect schools funding at 1% above changes to the total Welsh budget remains unshaken, however in recent years the total funding available from the Welsh Government budget has exceeded this commitment. As such, consideration of the the capacity for reduction of some of the grants to schools had to be reviewed as part of reprioritisation in 2014-15 and the 2015-16 budget.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): How many agency staff are employed across the 22 local authorities in Wales? (WAQ68107)
Answer received 10 December 2014
The Minister for Public Services (Leighton Andrews): We do not hold this information.