Answers issued to Members on 12 January 2009

[R] signifies that the Member has declared an interest.
[W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.

Contents

Questions to the First Minister

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

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing

Questions to the First Minister

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): How much has the Welsh Assembly Government spent on media training for each year since 1999? (WAQ52883)

Substantive answer following holding reply.

The First Minister (Rhodri Morgan): No payments have been made for media training for Ministers.

As regards staff media training, I am informed that between 1999 and the present date, the Chief Medical Officer’s Department has spent £10,441.40 on media training for health professionals to give media interviews. The Department of Health and Social Services has spent £4,180 on media training for staff since 2004. The International Relations Division spent £3,370 in 2005 on media training for staff representing Wales at overseas events where they are sometimes required to give media interviews.

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

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Has any assessment been made of possible Post Office closures from now until the end of this Assembly term and, if so, will the Minister give details? (WAQ52909)

Substantive answer following holding reply.

The Deputy Minister for Regeneration (Leighton Andrews): Post Office Ltd has now consulted on its Network Change Proposals for Wales. We are not aware of any further closure proposals.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): What efforts are being made to channel Assembly business to Post Offices to seek to ensure that they are able to remain open? (WAQ52910)

Substantive answer following holding reply.

Leighton Andrews: We have a One Wales commitment to explore with local government colleagues ways in which Post Office services might better be used for local authority, business and other local services. I have raised this with the WLGA on several occasions. I shall be writing to all Assembly Government Ministers to remind them of this commitment.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): What assessment has been made of the impact of Post Office closures on (a) additional travel time and journeys, and (b) on Wales’ carbon footprint in this Assembly term, giving details? (WAQ52943)

Substantive answer following holding reply.

Leighton Andrews: These are issues that should have been considered by Post Office Ltd during recent Post Office led consultations on this Network Closure Programme.

We have previously made representations to the UK government on the accessibility criteria.

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister make a statement on the effectiveness of 'English as an Additional Language Panels’ in Wales? (WAQ52334)

Substantive answer following holding reply.

The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (Jane Hutt): The Welsh Assembly Government supports the work of minority ethnic achievement services within local education authorities wich lead on the teaching of English as an additional language with a grant totalling £1.9 million in the current financial year. They provide an essential service to pupils who are new to English, including refugees, asylum seekers and the children of migrant workers.

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): How many school governor places at primary and secondary schools have been vacant for 3 months or more for each year since 1999 and would the Minister provide a breakdown for each LEA in Wales? (WAQ52335)

Substantive answer following holding reply.

Jane Hutt: The Welsh Assembly Government does not hold some statistics on governor vacancies in primary and secondary schools across Wales which are contained in the Welsh Assembly Government publication 'Schools in Wales: General Statistics’. The table attached shows the number of governor vacancies since 1999. However, the statistical data in these publications do not record how many of the governor vacancies have been in place for 3 months or more. The information would be held by local education authorities.

Serving Governors in Maintained Primary Schools

Serving Governors in Maintained Secondary Schools

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): Why has the financial contingency fund been cut by 7% for further education students, and what is the money being spent on? (WAQ52765)

Substantive answer following holding reply.

Jane Hutt: The decision to reduce the amount of Financial Contingency Funding (FCF) available to colleges in 2008-09 was taken following a review of expenditure to ensure that budget pressures are managed and that the Welsh Assembly Government agenda set out in One Wales is delivered.

The purpose and handling of the FCF is currently being examined in depth and officials are working closely with the FE sector to develop funding options with the aim of developing a long-term sustainable solution to ensure that, in future, financial obstacles such as those associated with childcare costs are no barrier to learners accessing further education.

Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing

Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire): Will the Minister detail what obligations the Welsh Assembly Government is under to consult with Town and Community Councils about future housing needs? (WAQ52818)

Substantive answer following holding reply.

The Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing (Jane Davidson): The Assembly Government is under no obligation to consult Town and Community Councils about future housing needs.

The Assembly Government takes the view that local authorities, that is, the unitary authorities, are in the best position to ascertain local housing needs, based on their knowledge of their local communities and housing markets.

Accordingly, the Assembly Government issued the Local Housing Market Assessment Guide, March 2006 to assist local authorities to assess housing needs in local areas.

I would also highlight the work of Rural Housing Enablers, who are jointly funded by the Assembly Government, local authorities and housing associations. Rural enablers work closely with Community Councils in rural areas to establish need and facilitate affordable housing development at precisely this level.

More recently Jocelyn Davies, Deputy Minister for Housing, established an Affordable Housing Task and Finish Group (commonly known as the 'Essex Review’), that reported to the Minister in June 2008.

This review showed a need for a national data base of housing need, and we are now working with the Welsh Local Government Association, and other stakeholders on ways in which this can be implemented.

The outcome may well be a national system of establishing housing need, on a national, regional and local authority basis, which is complemented by local housing market assessments conducted by local authorities that will look in detail at the housing needs in their local area.

This is fully consistent with the Assembly Government’s approach of working in partnership with local government in addressing the needs of the people in Wales.