Written Assembly Questions tabled on 8 April 2015 for answer on 15 April 2015

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

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the First Minister detail how much Welsh Government money has been spent on Old Bell 3, providing a breakdown of the last 3 years? (WAQ68578)

Answer Received 17 April 2015

The First Minister of Wales (Carwyn Jones):  The table below shows the amount of money that has been spent on Old Bell 3 Limited during the past 3 financial years.

To ask the Minister for Natural Resources

Kirst Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the ability to withdraw permitted development rights with regards to General Permitted Development Order Schedule 2 Part 3 Class A when changing use from A3 to A1? (WAQ68580)

Answer Received 21 April 2015

The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant): Local planning authorities may make directions under article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 to withdraw permitted development rights.  Appendix D of Circular 29/95 sets out national policy on their use.

Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): How is the Welsh Government working with other parts of the UK to promote measures to reduce antibiotic usage in animals? (WAQ68583)

Answer Received 21 April 2015

The Deputy Minister for Farming and Food (Rebecca Evans): Whilst policy surrounding antibiotic usage in animals is not a devolved matter, the Welsh Government does recognise the importance of this issue. The Welsh Government remains committed to supporting the UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy, which was launched by the UK Government in 2013, addressing both human and animal antibiotic usage.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) held an AMR summit in November 2014, to drive forward the animal health implementation of the UK strategy.  Key leaders from across the UK food animal, equine, companion animal and professional standards sectors were in attendance. The Welsh Government was represented and a member of the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group also attended.

The first annual progress report on the UK 5 year antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategy is now available, see attached link.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/antimicrobial-resistance-amr-information-and-resources

The report sets out work that is underway and some important achievements in the first year. The report also includes detail of actions over the remaining 4 years of the strategy.

The Welsh Government, in partnership with the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group are also working with the GB wide Cattle and Sheep Health and Welfare Industry Groups. These Groups also have antimicrobial resistance as one of their top priorities.

Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): What steps is the Welsh Government taking to reduce antibiotic usage in animals in Wales? (WAQ68584)

Answer Received 21 April 2015

Rebecca Evans The Welsh Government recognises that careful use of antibiotics in animals as presented by a veterinary surgeon, is an important tool alongside other measures to raise standards of animal health and welfare.

The Welsh Government in partnership with the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group are committed to the UK wide Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy and Action Plan. To reflect this commitment, AMR has been identified as one of the top priority areas for action under the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework for 2015/16, due to be published in June 2016.  Key areas identified for action include:

• Increasing awareness of and education on AMR.
• Continuing the promotion of good husbandry and biosecurity practices to help control zoonoses, endemic and exotic animal diseases.
• Supporting work at the UK level to develop improved data collection and evidence gathering to ensure a robust evidence base is in place to inform future actions.
• Continue to promote the minimising of routine use of preventative antibiotics. To this end the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Group have already published an article in the Jan/Feb edition of Gwlad magazine (see link below).

http://gwlad.wales.gov.uk/health/use-antibiotics-responsibly

To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty

Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister confirm whether the funding that the Welsh Government provides to recycling and Timebank scheme initiatives via the £75 million that it provides to support the Communities First programme breaches state aid rules? (WAQ68573)

Answer Received 17 April 2015

The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Lesley Griffiths): A very small amount of Communities First funding goes towards initiatives such as  recycling and timebanking. Where it does, Communities First Lead Delivery Bodies ensure activities comply with the European Commission's State Aid Rules.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills

Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister publish the Pupil Deprivation Grant allocations for 2015-2016 for each local authority? (WAQ68585)

Answer Received 14 April 2015

The Minister for Education and Skills Huw Lewis: We have no plans to publish the allocations by local authority separately. Pupil Deprivation Grant allocations for 2015-16 for each school in Wales are published on the Welsh Government website - see link below.

http://gov.wales/docs/dcells/publications/150123-pdg-school-allocations-2015-16.xlsx

This lists the schools by local authority, so the figure per local authority is transparent.

To ask the Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister outline how many loans have been provided by Cardiff Airport to airlines operating out of the airport over the last three years, providing a breakdown over each financial year? (WAQ68574)

 Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): If loans have been given to airlines operating out of Cardiff Airport over the last three years, will the Minister provide a monetary figure i.e how much these loans or future liabilities total? (WAQ68575)

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister please outline how many loans have been agreed by her office on behalf of Cardiff Airport to operators which will be a financial liability in future years? (WAQ68577)

Answer Received 14 April 2015 (WAQ 68574/5/7)

The Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): The Welsh Government has made no loans to airlines. Cardiff International Airport Limited (CIAL) is operated and managed by its own Board which is responsible for all commercial matters.

Kirst Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on her plans to improve transport connectivity in mid-Wales and between mid-Wales and Cardiff? (WAQ68579)

Answer Received 14 April 2015

Edwina Hart: The draft National Transport Plan on which we have recently consulted, sets out our objectives and priorities for improving transport infrastructure to improve connectivity across Wales.  I propose to issue a final plan later in the Spring following an analysis of the responses received.

Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister outline what support the Welsh Government provides to support local authorities to maintain their road networks? (WAQ68581)

Answer Received 14 April 2015

Edwina Hart: We provide Local Authorities with revenue funding for road maintenance through the annual block grant.

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Minister provide an update on the proposed scheme to construct a separate footbridge for pedestrian and cyclist access on the A4042 Llanellen Bridge in Monmouthshire? (WAQ68582)

Answer Received 14 April 2015

Edwina Hart: Following a positive response to the public consultation, the scheme to construct a footbridge over the river will be prioritised on an all-Wales basis against other walking and cycling schemes.

To ask the Minister for Finance and Government Business

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Further to the Chancellor's announcement to extend the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund to £55 million, does the Welsh Government have any plans to use the Barnett consequential to establish a similar fund for Wales? (WAQ68571)

Answer Received 14 April 2015

The Minister for Finance and Government Business (Jane Hutt): I wrote to you on 8 January to confirm that the Welsh Government has not received additional funding as a result of the establishment of this Fund. The Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund is open to applications from all listed places of worship across the UK, including Wales. I hope that many places of worship in Wales will benefit.  

Mark Isherwood (North Wales): After the Minister's pledge made during the Individual Members Debate on 25 March to support the spirit of the Charter for British Sustainable Steel, how will the Welsh Government's procurement policy in relation to steel reinforcing bar now change? (WAQ68572)

Answer Received 14 April 2015

Jane Hutt: The Wales Procurement Policy Statement sets out the principles by which I expect procurement to be undertaken in Wales. The Policy is already fully supportive of the principles of the Charter, specifically through adoption of existing tools such as the Sustainability Risk Assessment and the Community Benefits approach. I will be shortly announcing a refresh of the Policy Statement and this will focus on measuring the impact of the public procurement in Wales. 

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of wholetime/fulltime GPs working in Wales over the past three financial years? (WAQ68576)

Answer Received 17 April 2015

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford):  The information is available via the attached link:

http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/general-medical-practitioners/?lang=en

GP Whole Time Equivalent figures (WTE) were omitted from the GP workforce publication in 2015, following concerns expressed by users about data quality. WTE figures will be included in future editions once the issue has been resolved. Headcount figures are unaffected.