​Written Assembly Questions tabled on 5 April 2017 for answer on 12 April 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

Russell George (Montgomeryshire): How much does the Welsh Government estimate it will cost to subsidise free weekend TrawsCymru services? (WAQ73344)

Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Does the Welsh Government anticipate that local bus companies will suffer a loss on income in areas where free TrawsCymru weekend services will operate? (WAQ73345)

Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Welsh Government be providing compensation to local bus services that report a loss of revenue as a result of TrawsCymru's free weekend travel scheme? (WAQ73346)

Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Has the Competition and Markets Authority evaluated the impact of offering free weekend travel through TrawsCymru, and if so, what conclusions did they draw? (WAQ73347)

Russell George (Montgomeryshire): How many other bus services does the Welsh Government expect will be affected by a TrawsCymru free weekend travel service? (WAQ73348)

Answer received on 18 April 2017

Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): We are currently making arrangements to introduce a trial this year for weekend free fares initiative across the TrawsCymru network, and are working closely with local authorities, bus operators to ensure this initiative is a success. We are in contact with the Competition and Markets Authority, and I will be making a further detailed statement in due course, ready for the start date of the initiative. 

 
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Following the response to WAQ73290, will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether the contract document for tender went out in September 2016, as was confirmed by the Welsh Government at the time, and if not, what were the reasons for this and when did they go out? (WAQ73350)
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Following the response to WAQ73290, will the Cabinet Secretary confirm the deadline for tenders for the work on the SA1 car park and how many applications were received? (WAQ73351)

Answer received on 18 April 2017

Ken Skates: No bids have been received as we have not yet advertised the tender. We have delayed advertising the marketing of the MSCP opportunity following receipt of commercial advice which recommended that site investigation work, and town planning consent should be completed prior to going to tender.  This will ensure that prospective Developers will have greater certainty when preparing their bid submissions.

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a general statement on how effective he believes recruitment and retention premia incentives to be in attracting staff within the health service in Wales? (WAQ73341)
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm which health boards are using the recruitment and retention premia in Wales to attract staff? (WAQ73342)
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm what monies have been made available to health boards to fund recruitment and retention premias over the last two years and for this financial year? (WAQ73343)

Answer received on 24 April 2017

The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): Once an NHS organisation has decided that a recruitment and/or retention problem can best be resolved through the payment of an Recruitment and Retention Payment (RRP), there is a requirement to consult with neighbouring employers, staff side organisations and other stakeholders before implementing any premium. Recommendations are then submitted to the Welsh Partnership Forum Business Committee for a final decision and confirmation of the period of time the RRP will apply.
The costs of RRPs are met locally by individual NHS organisations and are permitted under the terms and conditions of employment contracts, such as Agenda for Change. In recent years, the Welsh Partnership Forum Business Committee has approved five RRP applications: mechanical and electrical craft persons at Cardiff and Vale UHB, Cwm Taf UHB and Aneurin Bevan UHB. Cardiothoracic scrub practitioners at Cardiff and Vale UHB; and Clinical Perfusionist scientists at Cardiff and Vale UHB.
In addition two financial incentive schemes have been introduced for GP trainees as part of a package of measures to attract more GPs to train, work and live in Wales. I recently announced that our campaign is already proving a success, yielding a fill rate for GP training places at the end of round one of 84%, compared to a fill rate of 68% at this stage in 2016.

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Cabinet Secretary outline how he is working to reduce instances of patients experiencing multiple pre-op assessments, due to delays in final surgery within trauma and orthodpaedics at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board? (WAQ73349)
 
Answer received on 18 April 2017

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-Being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): While this is an operational matter for the health board.  I expect it to deliver pre-operative assessment for theatre services in line with the principles set out in the Guide to Good Practice.

In addition, as the health board implements its orthopaedic plan, I expect to see a reduction in the number of people waiting for surgery. As part of that plan, the health board should ensure it has planned the delivery of services appropriately so patients experience the pathway in a timely, efficient and clinically effective way.

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary give a breakdown of the number of Glastir payments that have not been made by the contracted January date and further indicate which counties have outstanding payments, providing the number of payments due in each county and the sum of monies outstanding to each? (WAQ73340)R
 
Answer received on 18 April 2017

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs (Lesley Griffiths): There is no payment window for rural development schemes, such as Glastir.  The 2016 Single Application Rules Booklet stated that all Glastir annual area payments will be made from February 2017, upon validation of the Single Application Form, and any further validation in respect of the associated Glastir Contract(s). Glastir area payments commenced earlier than publicised on 20 January 2017

As of 6 April, £25 million (65.9% of area based claims) has been paid, together with almost £12 million of Capital Works payments, and we expect to pay all but the most complex Glastir claims by the end of May. 

The table below shows the number of customers with outstanding Glastir area payments, breakdown by Local Authority.

 
*These include both farm businesses which are paid by Rural Payments Wales, but the address is in England, and new claimants whose farm address has not yet been assigned to a Local Authority

 
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Further to WAQ73217, will the Cabinet Secretary outline her timescale for the publication of the designated landscapes report? (WAQ73352)

Answer received on 7 April 2017

Lesley Griffiths: I will publish the 'Future Landscapes: Delivering for Wales' report, on behalf of the many organisations who have contributed to it before the summer recess.