Written Assembly Questions tabled on 4 May 2017 for answer on 11 May 2017
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
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Further to his written statement in response to the Wales Audit Office report on initial funding to the Circuit of Wales, will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether a Government decision has been made to delay any decision or announcement on the project until after the UK General Election pre-election period? (WAQ73433)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): I will be making a written statement on progress in the coming week. In the meantime I can confirm that since my announcement in March my officials and the appointed external advisors have been progressing the project, but the due diligence process identified many material gaps and inaccuracies in the information contained within the Circuit of Wales application. Consequently, we set an extended and final deadline for the Company to address these gaps. Within the last week final submissions have been received that officials have confirmed will allow completion of the due diligence analysis. This further delay has meant the timescale asset in March has slipped. I am advised that the remaining process will take a final few weeks, following which Cabinet will consider the project as soon as is practicably possible.
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide the date and approximate time on and at which the Welsh Government first received investor term sheets for the Circuit of Wales project? (WAQ73434)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
Ken Skates: The Circuit of Wales submitted a formal application for support on 14 February 2017, the supporting documentation included draft investor term sheets. It should be noted that the simple provision of term sheets does not provide all of the information needed to appraise a proposal or undertake due diligence.
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Cabinet Secretary outline any representations the Welsh Government has made to the Wales Audit Office in relation to the timing of publication of its report on the initial funding for the Circuit of Wales project? (WAQ73435)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
Ken Skates: Officials worked closely with the Wales Audit Office to agree the factual accuracy of the report on the initial funding for the Circuit of Wales over an approximate four week period before the report was published. Officials raised concerns about the timing of the report and the lack of appropriate time to provide final clearance during those discussions. Welsh Government's concerns were also clearly stated in the formal response from the Deputy Permanent Secretary to the Auditor General Wales as part of the clearance process.
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Cabinet Secretary disclose whether Grant Thornton have submitted their final report in relation to the work referred to in WAQ73298 on 6 April 2017? (WAQ73436)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
Ken Skates: No, the due diligence work is nearing completion and draft reports, including from Grant Thornton, are expected to be submitted to officials shortly.
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether the fit and proper person assessment in relation to Circuit of Wales Directors and other key individuals has been completed? (WAQ73437)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
Ken Skates: The fit and proper person test, which is being undertaken as a part of the external due diligence, is nearing completion and the outcome will be included in the advisors' final report which is expected to be issued in draft to officials shortly.
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether any other additional due diligence related work in connection to the Circuit of Wales has been commissioned by the Welsh Government which was not referred to in his answer to WAQ73298 on 6 April 2017? (WAQ73438)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
Ken Skates: As advised in my written statement of 8 February, the Welsh Government has commissioned a rigorous due diligence process, which in addition to the financial analysis referred to in my answer to WAQ73298and the fit and proper person test, has also included due diligence on legal contracts, construction and economic impact.
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Further to the answer to WAQ73384, will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether the financial support offered included a head lease agreement or any form of government guarantee or other contingent liability? (WAQ73439)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
Ken Skates: As advised in my previous response to WAQ 73384 the details of the financial support to Aston Martin are commercially confidential and therefore I am unable to comment on the form of the commercial arrangements. The Member will however be aware of the recent decision by the Information Commissioners Office in respect of Aston Martin and as a consequence information on grants offered to the company will be released shortly in response to the Freedom of Information enquiry.
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Further to the answer to WAQ71666, will the Cabinet Secretary state the name of the beneficiary of the Welsh Government guarantee in question, and if any new guarantee has been entered into by the Welsh Government in relation to any other company since the date of this answer? (WAQ73440)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
Ken Skates: The beneficiary referred to in WAQ71666 is Unity Mines Limited. No further guarantees have been provided at the date of writing for which a contingent liability has been created in the Welsh Government accounts.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the shortage of General Practitioners in North Wales, and explain what action the Welsh Government is taking to address the problem with particular reference to surgeries in Aberconwy? (WAQ73432)
Answer received on 15 May 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): At April 2017, health boards were managing 18 GP practices across Wales, representing approximately 4% of the total number.
Nine GP practices are under the management of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The health board has developed a new service delivery model to ensure the ongoing provision of sustainable, high-quality primary care services. The Healthy Prestatyn primary care service, which has been run directly by the health board from 1 April 2016, provides primary care services to over 23,000 patients. In relation to the Llys Meddyg surgery in Conwy, which terminated its contract on 31 October 2016, the health board worked with neighbouring practices in Conwy, Llandudno Junction and Deganwy to ensure their patients continue to receive high quality primary care.
While the General Medical Services contract model will remain the principal model in Wales, health boards are also be considering other options to ensure primary services remain sustainable, including working with practices to encourage mergers or federations.
In October 2016, we launched a major new national and international campaign to promote Wales as an excellent place for doctors, including GPs, and their families, to train, work and live. The campaign is one element in delivering on the Welsh Government’s commitment to “take action to attract and train more GPs, nurses and other health professionals across Wales”.
Since October, the first phase of the campaign has been progressing at pace. I issued a written statement on 4 April highlighting the early successes of the campaign. This has included an increase in the GP speciality training fill rate which at the end of round 1 was 84%, compared to 68% at the same stage last year. There have also been positive results for selected areas of Wales that are part of the financial incentive scheme. In north Wales, round 1 recruitment has already resulted in 100% fill rates in the North Wales East and North Wales West GP training schemes and there are grounds to be optimistic that the North Wales Central scheme will also increase its fill rate after the conclusion of round 1 re-advert.