Written Assembly Questions tabled on 5 December 2016 for answer on 12 December 2016
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 First Minister
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister publish how many civil servants work in the education department and what sub divisions are there in the department? (WAQ71635)
Answer received on 7 December 2016
The First Minister (Carwyn Jones): Staffing matters within the Welsh Government are the responsibility of the Permanent Secretary. I have asked him to write to you separately with the information you have requested.
Steffan Lewis (South Wales East): Will the Welsh Government outline the discussions it has had, regarding future trade arrangements with Wales, with representatives of the (a) European Free Trade Association (EFTA), (b) European Economic Area (EEA) and (c) EU and its institutions since the EU referendum? (WAQ71640)
Answer received on 13 December 2016
Carwyn Jones: During my visit to Brussels on 7 December I had meetings with the Swiss and Icelandic Ambassadors to the EU to discuss matters including their countries' relations and trade arrangements with the EU, their non-EU Free Trade Agreements and their governments' views of possible future membership of EFTA and the EEA for Wales and the wider UK. I will be visiting Norway in January for further discussions on these matters.
My officials in Brussels have had discussions with the Missions to the EU of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and with the representatives of Norwegian regions, that have included possible future trade arrangements for Wales and the wider UK.
My discussions at the European Parliament on 7 December included possible future trade arrangements and my officials have had initial, informal discussions with the EU institutions.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): What was the net ingredient cost per item for the following generic drugs in 2015, in comparison with each year for the reporting years 2007-2014?
Doxepin
Tranylcypromine Sulfate
Cloral Betaine
Chlortalidone
Dicycloverine Hydrochloride
Dipipanone Hydrochloride
Liothyronine Sodium
Trifluoperazine
Menthol
Carbimazole
Ascorbic Acid
(WAQ71624)
Answer received on 8 December 2016
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): The information requested is available from the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership. Prescribing data can be found through the attached link:
http://www.primarycareservices.wales.nhs.uk/prescription-cost-analysis
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Following the written statement on 5 December 2016, about data collection on housing conditions in Wales, will the Minister confirm how the data will be identified and collected and which organisations will be tasked with doing this? (WAQ71641)
Answer received on 14 December 2016
Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children (Carl Sargeant): An open and transparent OJEU procurement exercise for undertaking the sample survey of housing conditions in 2017-18 is in process. This survey of housing conditions will be complemented by relevant questions in the National Survey for Wales in 2017-18. Officials have identified a range of potential sources of data of relevance to the 'dwelling spine' but, throughout the programme, will engage further with a wide range of organisations which may be able to contribute to this improved evidence base on housing. Development options for the 'dwelling spine' are currently under consideration.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): How many headteachers in Welsh schools are currently "Acting Headteachers? (WAQ71625)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: The number of acting headteachers in local authority maintained schools is collected as part of the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census (PLASC). The 2016 PLASC release shows that there are 181 acting headteachers in Welsh schools.
Number of headteachers and acting headteachers in LA maintained schools
| 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 |
Acting Headteacher | 188 | 196 | 158 | 169 | 173 | 181 |
Headteacher | 1,546 | 1,516 | 1,503 | 1,470 | 1,427 | 1,407 |
Source: Pupil Level Annual Schools Census 2016
The PLASC data regarding the number of qualified teachers and their role is published annually on the Welsh Government's Stats Wales website:
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister provide details of which stakeholders she consulted when developing the Welsh Government's proposals for the Welsh Academy of Leadership? (WAQ71626)
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister provide the names of the experts involved in the development of the Welsh Academy of Leadership, as mentioned in the Welsh Government press release on 17 November 2016? (WAQ71628)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: As I set out in my Written Statement of 17 November, I have established a task and finish group to scope the remit, structure, governance arrangements and vision for the National Academy of Educational Leadership.
In doing so, I have clearly set out my expectation that they work closely with stakeholders, including teaching professionals, to ensure that their expertise and needs are reflected in the Academy once formally established.
When developing our early proposals in regard of the Academy my officials worked with a range of stakeholders. These included; the Managing Directors of the Regional Consortia; the Association of Directors of Education Wales (ADEW) and Estyn.
External experts who were also involved included Steve Munby, CEO of the Education Development Trust, Sir Alasdair Macdonald and Professor Mick Waters. Both Sir Alasdair and Professor Waters have subsequently been invited to take a role on the task and finish group to enable us to continue to benefit from their expertise.
Welsh Government officials have also visited Scotland to learn lessons from their experience in establishing the Scottish College of Education Leadership (SCEL) with both SCEL itself and the Scottish Government.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What plans does the Minister have to encourage more NQTs to consider careers in middle leadership? (WAQ71627)
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What plans does the Minister have to encourage more NQTs to consider careers in senior leadership? (WAQ71634)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: It is important that we all recognise that becoming and remaining a teacher is a career pathway which is as important and valid as seeking promotion into middle or senior leadership.
The priority for NQTs, at this early and crucial time in their professional lives, is to refine and hone their pedagogy through professional learning, innovation, collaboration and leadership.
All teachers, as part of their ongoing professional learning in the context of the new Professional Teaching Standards, will be developing their leadership skills allowing them to understand and consider future promoted responsibilities at middle and senior management.
The National Academy of Educational Leadership will ensure a consistent, coherent approach to how leadership will be developed for the education sector as a whole. Wider workforce developments including professional teaching and leadership standards will inform the thinking and focus of the Academy as it progresses.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister publish the most recent details on how many PGCE qualifiers are teaching as NQTs in Wales the year after qualifying? (WAQ71629)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: There were 630 PGCE graduates who began teaching in Wales, six months after qualifying in the 2014/15 academic year. This only includes graduates who completed a Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey. The survey was completed by 86% of those who achieved qualified teacher status in the UK.
Further Info:
Details of undergraduate and PGCE students who begin teaching in Wales six months after obtaining Qualified Teacher Status are published annually on StatsWales, and were updated on 07th December 2016.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister consider developing and publishing a workforce plan for the teaching profession for the next five years? (WAQ71630)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: I announced in Plenary in June the intention to develop a workforce and leadership strategy to set out explicitly a clear and coherent picture of the way forward for the workforce and how that will be developed and supported through the process of change.
This strategy will build upon the existing plans being led by Welsh Government and regional consortia including the deployment of pioneer schools to support peer-to-peer professional learning, the introduction of an enhanced professional learning passport and strengthened school development plans to support more effective planning and choice of professional learning. The strategy will also strengthen the focus in areas such as the development on new professional teaching standards, leadership development and the development of learning support staff. Initial work is underway and will be developed further over the next six months.
The Welsh Government’s Workforce Planning and Mobility Sub-group have been working to identify the data items required to better inform workforce planning across all public services including education. Whilst this will allow detailed analysis of current gaps and issues to address, additional work is underway to bring regulations into force which would enable the collection of a greater level of information on the school workforce in Wales.
This will help to consolidate and improve our school workforce intelligence and enable effective workforce planning to ensure that the right people with the right skills are deployed to provide a high quality, committed and motivated workforce. A formal consultation on the draft regulations will commence in the new year.
Historically, we have relied on the Teacher Planning and Supply Model (TPSM) to project the desired number of teachers required based on pupil projections and current pupil-teacher ratios. It also projects the number of in-service teachers and the subsequent over or under supply of teachers, given flows in and out of service. These flows cover the in-flow of newly qualified teachers and re-entrants to teaching in Wales, and the loss of teachers due to retirements and other reasons for leaving the profession.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): How does the Minister intend to attract more into the teaching profession? (WAQ71631)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: We want teaching to be a first choice profession and continue to focus on attracting the very best people with the right skills and personal qualities to consider teaching as a career. Initial teacher education has a key role in
raising the standard of education and educational attainment in our schools, to offer our future teachers and leaders the skills, knowledge and appetite to lead the change that will be required. The aim of the revised criteria is to improve the quality and consistency of Initial Teacher Education provision and introduce a new improved and collaborative approach.
Financial incentives to attract graduates with the highest levels of subject knowledge into postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes have been available for some time. In recent years the Welsh Government has targeted financial support toward attracting top graduates with high levels of degree subject knowledge in the secondary designated priority recruitment subjects of mathematics, chemistry, physics, Welsh, foreign languages and computer sciences. For academic year 2016/17, up to £20,000 is available for top postgraduate students who want to train to teach the key recruitment priority subjects in our schools. Eligible Welsh students will also be entitled to a tuition fee grant to support their studies.
Additional financial incentives of £2,000 are available under the Welsh Medium Improvement Scheme for secondary postgraduate chemistry and physics ITE trainees training to teach through the medium of Welsh, who need extra support to teach their specialist subject effectively in Welsh.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister publish data on how many science and maths teachers gained QTS in Wales in each of the last five years? (WAQ71632)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: A total of 975 people achieved QTS in maths and science during the five years between 2010/11 and 2014/15.
Table 1: QTS qualifiers in maths and science, 2010/11 to 2014/15
2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | |
Total Maths and Science | 220 | 225 | 210 | 165 | 155 |
All Science | 145 | 135 | 125 | 100 | 80 |
Physical sciences | 5 | 5 | * | * | . |
Biology | 80 | 70 | 65 | 50 | 30 |
Chemistry | 25 | 30 | 35 | 30 | 30 |
Physics | 35 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 20 |
Maths | 75 | 85 | 85 | 65 | 75 |
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record
All numbers are rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers lower than 5 are displayed as "*" to avoid disclosing individuals.
Data for the 2015/16 academic year will be published in March 2017. Sports Science was excluded from the data.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister provide a list of which:
a) public bodies under her remit receive direct funding from the Welsh Government; and
b) third sector partners under her remit receive grant funding from the Welsh Government? (WAQ71633)
Kirsty Williams: I enclose a list of the public bodies who receive direct funding and the third sector partners who receive grant funding from the Welsh Government. The information provided from the Welsh Government's finance system is based on spend to date for 2016-17 within the Education Main Expenditure Group (MEG).
a) Public bodies identified within the Education Main Expenditure Group (MEG) receiving direct funding from Welsh Government based on spend to date for 2016-17. |
|
VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
CARDIFF COUNTY COUNCIL |
BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
MONMOUTHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL |
TORFAEN COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
CAERPHILLY COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
CYNGOR GWYNEDD COUNCIL |
CONWY COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
BLAENAU GWENT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
RHONDDA CYNON TAFF COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL |
POWYS COUNTY COUNCIL |
YNYS MON COUNTY COUNCIL |
MERTHYR TYDFIL COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
CITY AND COUNTY OF SWANSEA COUNCIL |
FLINTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL |
DENBIGHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL |
WREXHAM COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
NEATH PORT TALBOT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL |
NEWPORT CITY COUNCIL |
CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL |
CEREDIGION COUNTY COUNCIL |
JISC |
SPORT WALES |
HEFCW |
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES |
ARTS COUNCIL FOR WALES |
QUALIFICATIONS WALES |
WELSH LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION |
b) Third sector partners under the Cabinet Secretary for Education's remit receiving grant funding from the Welsh Government based on spend to date for 2016-17. |
|
ARCHDIOCESE OF CARDIFF |
ST DAVIDS DIOCESAN BOARD OF FINANCE |
ST ASAPH DIOCESAN BOARD OF FINANCE |
LLANDAFF DIOCESAN BOARD OF FINANCE |
MONMOUTH DIOCESAN TRUST |
PACEY PROFFESIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHILDCARE AND EARLY YEARS |
UNA EXCHANGE |
WEA YMCA CC CYMRU |
RUSKIN MILL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LTD |
SEASHELL TRUST |
NATIONAL LEARNING AND WORK INSTITUTE |
GIRLGUIDING CYMRU |
MENTER IAITH SIR BENFRO CYF |
DUKE OF EDINBURGHS AWARD |
WELSH SCOUT COUNCIL |
FORTUNE CENTRE OF RIDING THERAPY |
URDD GOBAITH CYMRU |
MUDIAD YSGOLION MEITHRIN (CAERDYDD) |
MERCHED Y WAWR |
CYMDEITHAS CYFIEITHWYR CYMRU |
Y GORIAD |
PAPUR DRE |
TECHNIQUEST LTD |
COUNCIL FOR WALES OF VOLUNTARY YOUTH SERVICES |
CLUBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN WALES |
YOUTH CYMRU |
DONCASTER DEAF TRUST |
HAY FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE & THE ARTS LTD |
Y GLANNAU |
WELSH BOOKS COUNCIL |
Y GLORAN |
RNIB |
WALES FEDERATION OF YOUNG FARMERS CLUBS |
TECHNIQUEST @ NEWI |
EXETER ROYAL ACADEMY FOR DEAF EDUCATION |
PAPUR BRO NENE |
CANOLFAN A MENTER GYMRAEG MERTHYR TYDFUL |
MENTER CAERDYDD |
BOOKTRUST |
NTFW LTD |
MENTER IAITH ABERTAWE |
ST MARYS AND ST GILES CENTRE |
MENTER IAITH CONWY |
MENTER BRO OGWR |
MENTER IAITH SIR CAERFFILI |
MENTER IAITH CASNEWYDD |
CYMDEITHAS EISTEDDFODAU CYMRU |
MENTER IAITH SIR Y FFLINT |
Y CARDI BACH |
Y DINESYDD |
PAPUR FAMA |
Y FAN AR LLE |
MENTER IAITH DINBYCH |
PAPUR Y CWM |
MENTRAU IAITH CYMRU CYF |
MENTER MON CYF |
LITERATURE WALES |
TOGETHER TRUST |
MENTRAU SIR GAR |
Y DWRGI |
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister provide details of how much funding the Welsh Academy of Leadership will receive in the next three financial years? (WAQ71636)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: In November I announced that progress on the development of the National Academy of Educational Leadership had been made and that I see this as key to the success of the education reforms currently being taken forward.
The development of the Academy is an important step forward and will ensure that Wales can develop both our current and future leaders.
I propose to invest in the Academy utilising an element of the additional £100 million identified for school standards over this Government term of which £20 million has been included in the draft budget for 2017-18. . Detailed information regarding this funding is not yet available. Draft budgets beyond 2017-18 are also not published at this point in time.
I will provide details of the planned funding in due course.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What relationship does the Minister envisage the Education Workforce Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales having in considering the accreditation and finance of initial teacher training courses from 2019? (WAQ71637)
Answer received on 14 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: Such details will be set out and subject to subordinate legislation that will be laid and approved by resolution of the National Assembly for Wales. This will take place in the new year and I do not wish to pre-empt that debate, which will allow all members to consider the policy detail for the future accreditation of Initial Teacher Education.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): In which Welsh secondary schools did the attainment gap between FSM and eFSM pupils increase between 2014-15 and 2015-16 at KS4 Level 2 inclusive? (WAQ71638)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: Please find a list of schools in the attached document.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): In which Welsh secondary schools did the attainment gap at the expected level at KS4, between FSM and eFSM pupils increase between 2014-15 and 2015-16 in:
a) English
b) Welsh first language
c) maths
d) science (WAQ71639)
Answer received on 9 December 2016
Kirsty Williams: Please find a list of schools for each subject in the attached document.