Written Assembly Questions tabled on 4 December 2013 for answer on 11 December 2013

R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.

(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)

To ask the Minister for Culture and Sport

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Further to WAQ66004 and WAQ66003, what conclusions regarding access were drawn from this meeting with Baroness Randerson? (WAQ66050)

Answer received on 17 December 2013

John Griffiths: I met with Baroness Randerson and access to the countryside was raised as part of a general update.  No conclusions were drawn as a result of this meeting.

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Further to WAQ66004 and WAQ66003, what evidence - statistical, anecdotal or otherwise - regarding access was drawn from this meeting with Baroness Randerson? (WAQ66051)

Answer received on 17 December 2013

John Griffiths: I met with Baroness Randerson and access to the countryside was raised as part of a general update.  It was not an exercise in providing evidence

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): On what requests, evidence or otherwise was the decision to include commitments to increase access to land and water within the Programme for Government made? (WAQ66052)

Answer received on 17 December 2013

John Griffiths:  Including a commitment in the Programme for Government to increase access to land and water was recognition of the importance placed by the Welsh Government on increasing levels of physical activity amongst the population of Wales; and affirmation of the health, social and economic benefits that outdoor recreation can bring.

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Further to WAQ66005, will the Minister detail all face to face meetings he has had in a Ministerial capacity with organisations, regarding access to the countryside between January 2013 and December 2013? (WAQ66053)

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Further to WAQ66005, will the Minister detail all face to face meetings he has had at an official level with organisations, regarding access to the countryside between January 2013 and December 2013? (WAQ66054)

Answer received on 17 December 2013 (WAQ66053-54)

John Griffiths: I will write to you and a copy of the letter will be put on the internet.

To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty

Peter Black (South Wales West): How much will the employment of a third party contractor to oversee funding to the credit union sector cost in 2013-14, has such a contractor been used in previous years and, if so, what was the cost then? (WAQ66060)

Answer received on 11 December 2013

Jeff Cuthbert: No contract has been awarded purely to oversee funding to the credit union sector.

To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What discussions has the Minister had with Taith, Conwy County Borough Council and the Community Transport Association Wales regarding the Conwy Community Transport scheme? (WAQ66057)

Answer received on 6 December 2013

The Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): I have not had any direct discussions with these organisations on this issue.

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Further to WAQ66022, will the Minister provide a comprehensive breakdown of the £1,373,064 budget, deemed to be 'overhead' spending, of Business Wales? (WAQ66058)

Answer received on 10 December 2013

Edwina Hart: The overhead figure predominately relates to the operating and Accommodation costs including rental / leases, office equipment, utility costs, cleaning etc. and also covers

• ICT,
  
• Professional fees – HR, Legal,
  
• Recruitment costs,
  
• Translation costs,
  
• Postage.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister make a statement on the actions taken by the Welsh Government to tackle the use of legal highs such as 'Khat'? (WAQ66059)

Answer received on 10 December 2013

Mark Drakeford: The Substance Misuse Strategy Annual Report 2013 sets out the progress the Welsh Government has made to tackle the use of legal highs or new psychoactive substances over the last 12 months. The report was published on 31st October 2013 and can be accessed via:

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/housingandcommunity/safety/substancemisuse/resources/publications/report13/?lang=en

To ask the Minister for Natural Resources and Food

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Further to WAQ66013, will the Minister explain why Afon Iwrch is not currently on the list of catchments provided to Welsh Government, given that it is designated a Priority 1 Priority Water Catchment (PWC) area by NRW? (WAQ66049)

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Further to the answer to WAQ66015, will the Minister outline what factors were used by the then Environment Agency Wales and Countryside Council Wales to identify and prioritise Priority Water Catchments? (WAQ66061)

Answer received on 11 December 2013 (WAQ66049 & 61)

Alun Davies: Glastir Water Quality priority catchments have been prioritised by what were then the Environment Agency Wales and the Countryside Council for Wales, now Natural Resources Wales.

The target areas for water quality in Glastir have been designed to assist the Welsh Governments to meet the requirements and deadlines of WFD and Habitats Directive (Natura 2000), and by evidence of water quality related ecological impacts due to agricultural diffuse pollution. 

NRW have not identified Afon Iwrch as a priority catchment for water quality in Glastir.

To ask the Assembly Commission

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Assembly Commission provide details on the number of visits by secondary schools in Aberconwy to the National Assembly for Wales as part of the 'Outreach Programme' since May 2011, broken down on a school by school basis? (WAQ66055)

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Assembly Commission provide details on the number of visits by primary schools in Aberconwy to the National Assembly for Wales as part of the 'Outreach Programme' since May 2011, broken down on a school by school basis? (WAQ66056)

Answer received on 11 December 2013 (WAQ66055-56)