Answers issued to Members on 11 July 2007
[R] signifies that the Member has declared an interest.[W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh. Contents Questions to the Minister for the Economy and Transport Questions to the Minister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Public Service Delivery
Questions to the Minister for the Economy and Transport
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Will the Minister give a monthly breakdown, over the last eight years, of a) the gross domestic product, and b) the gross national product of Wales, and what comparison has he made with those of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland? (WAQ50194)
The Minister for the Economy and Transport (Brian Gibbons): A breakdown of Gross Value Added (GVA) covering the latest available eight years is given in the table. Estimates are only available on an annual basis. Gross Value Added is the national accounts aggregate available for sub-UK geographies. (It was termed Gross Domestic Product at basic prices under the previous system of national accounts.) There are no official sub-UK estimates of Gross National Product.Total GVA in Wales increased by 34 per cent between 1999 and 2005. Compensation of employees, the part of GVA that most directly affects the people of Wales, increased by 39 per cent over the same period. This compares to increases of 38 per cent in this component of GVA in the rest of the UK over the same period. Total GVA increased by 36 per cent, 33 per cent and 34 per cent in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively over the same period.
Gross value added in Wales, by component of income (£million)
| Compensation of employees | Operating surplus/mixed income | Total gross value added | |
1998 |
18,172 |
11,511 |
29,683 |
1999 |
19,142 |
11,453 |
30,595 |
2000 |
20,366 |
11,378 |
31,744 |
2001 |
21,581 |
11,835 |
33,416 |
2002 |
22,596 |
12,427 |
35,024 |
2003 |
23,844 |
13,270 |
37,115 |
2004 |
25,130 |
14,186 |
39,316 |
2005 |
26,523 |
14,344 |
40,867 |
Source: ONS Regional Accounts
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How many private sector jobs have been lost in Wales over the last eight years, and what comparison has the Minister made with global annual figures? (WAQ50195)
Brian Gibbons: Large numbers of private sector jobs are both lost and created each year in Wales as part of the continuing process of dynamic restructuring common to all developed economies. Between 2001 and 2004 (the period for which estimates are available), on average, around 107,000 jobs in the private sector were lost each year and around 117,000 were created.
Between 1999 and the year to September 2006, the net impact of job creation and job loss was an estimated increase of 85,000 (or 9 per cent) in the number of private sector jobs in Wales. Figures for the world as a whole are not readily available, but for the UK there was a 5 per cent increase in private sector jobs over the same period.
Questions to the Minister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language
Joyce Watson (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister give an update on the Foundation Phase? (WAQ50186)
The Minister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language (Carwyn Jones): I remain fully committed to introducing the Foundation Phase from September 2008 and delivering the 'Building the Foundation Phase Action Plan’ launched last December. Over the last six months we have:
- Undertaken a public consultation on the Foundation Phase Framework for Children’s Learning;
- Developed the Foundation Phase National Training Pack;
- Announced the location of 42 early start schools and funded non-maintained settings that will introduce the Foundation Phase from September of this year;
- Provided grant funding for each local authority to appoint a Training and Support Officer to manage delivery of the Foundation Phase;
- Made available over £2.5 million so that each funded non-maintained early years provider has access to at least 10 percent of the time of a qualified teacher;
- Awarded grants to Learning through Landscapes and the Woodlands for Learning Forum to work with schools and LEAs on developing and adapting the outdoor learning environment;
- Worked with LEAs at local and consortia level to draw up a training programme to help all staff prepare for delivery of the Foundation Phase;
- Developed a communications strategy to raise public awareness of the foundation phase and career opportunities for the workforce;
- Established a National Project Management Group and support structure to oversee implementation of the Foundation Phase.
Joyce Watson (Mid and West Wales): What action is the Welsh Assembly Government taking to ensure that young people aged between 16 and 19 are supported to stay in education or work-based learning? (WAQ50187)
Carwyn Jones: The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to transforming 14-19 provision in Wales and all young people’s opportunities. This will be done by extending choice and flexibility; securing individually tailored learning pathways that meet learners’ needs and providing richer opportunities and experiences which will help young people develop the skills they need for life and work.
What we want to achieve through the 14 -19 Learning Pathways is for each individual 14 to 19-year-old to have a unique individual learning pathway with the options which best suits their interests, abilities and learning styles.
Alun Cairns (South Wales West): What consideration has the Minister given to changing the guidelines that relate to the naming of a school? (WAQ50197)
Carwyn Jones: The current statutory requirements relating to the changing of the name of a school are set out in the Government of Maintained Schools (Wales) Regulations 2005, which came into effect on 31 October 2005.
There was wide consultation on these regulations before they were debated and approved by the Assembly in Plenary on 18 October 2005. There was no call from consultation to amend the provisions relating to the changing of the name of a school. Given this, I have no plans to amend or revoke these provisions through further legislation.
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
Ann Jones (Vale of Clwyd): How many LHBs have responded to the audit of services for older people which is part of the implementation work programme of the National Service Framework for Older People? (WAQ50190)
Ann Jones (Vale of Clwyd): What plans does the Minister have to publish the results of the audit of services for older people which is part of the implementation work programme for the National Service Framework for Older People? (WAQ50189)
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Edwina Hart): Monitoring of the implementation of the National Service Framework for Older People in Wales is undertaken using a new web-based Self Assessment Audit Tool (SAAT) which reports progress on a joint health and social services basis for each county area. Annual returns for 2006-07 targets and milestones have now been completed for all partnership areas in Wales. We will publish a summary of the results of this audit on the NSF Older People website (www.howis.wales.nhs.uk/oldernsf) shortly.Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Public Service Delivery
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on Housing Association properties being built with level access showers for the elderly? (WAQ50183)
The Deputy Minister for Housing (Leighton Andrews): All new homes built by Housing Associations in Wales since July 2005 were required to meet the Lifetime Homes Standards published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The Lifetime Homes concept is about providing homes that are flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the occupants and that are accessible to everyone including those who have a physical impairment, are elderly or have a sensory impairment. All new homes therefore are equipped with a shower and a bath.
In new houses the shower is situated at the ground floor/entrance level and is designed for use by a person with reduced mobility or in a wheelchair.
Flats and Bungalows are also provided with a shower and a bath and bungalows, ground floor flats and flats served by a lift have bathrooms designed so that they are capable of adaptation for use by a person with reduced mobility or in a wheelchair.
Extra Care or Frail Elderly housing that is designed specifically to meet the needs of elderly people, particularly those requiring a high level of support is provided by means of independent self contained flats.
All the flats are built to wheelchair standards and have a wheelchair accessible shower with a connecting door to the principal bedroom to allow for the addition of a hoist.
Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire): Will the Minister outline the Assembly’s policy towards decisions by County Councils to reduce the number of Community Councillors? (WAQ50192)
The Minister for Social Justice and Public Service Delivery (Andrew Davies): This is not a matter for the Assembly. The Local Government Act 1972 places a duty on principal authorities to keep under review the community boundaries and community electoral arrangements within their area.