Written Assembly Questions tabled on 8 May 2014 for answer on 15 May 2014

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 Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty

Peter Black (South Wales West): Will the Minister provide detail on how the additional £1million allocated within the Second Supplementary Budget 2013-14 to develop infrastructure to deliver Flying Start has been spent? (WAQ667002)

Answer received on 15 May 2014

The Deputy Minister for Tackling Poverty (Vaughan Gething): The additional £1 million allocated to the Flying Start capital programme for 2013-14 formed part of the £13 million budget for the year which was used to fund more than 140 capital projects across Wales.

The four year capital expansion programme (2012-16) is ensuring that we have the infrastructure in place to meet our commitment to deliver all four core elements of the Flying Start programme to 36,000 children aged under 4 years and their families by 2016. To date we have committed more than £28 million to 226 projects and these have varied in size and complexity from £27,500 for a project in Holyhead which involved adapting a school classroom to create a new childcare setting; to £537,591 for a new build which has created a complete Flying Start setting in Blackmill, Bridgend which comprises a childcare setting, office accommodation for the multi agency Flying Start team and a venue to run parenting courses as well as early language and play sessions. These projects would not have been able to go ahead if the £13 million budget had not been made available.

To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide detail of how many businesses have received grants from the Access Broadband Scheme since its launch in October 2013, the current total of grants paid and the projected annual running cost of this scheme? (WAQ66995)

Answer received on 15 May 2014

The Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): Since its launch in October 2013, 11 businesses have received grant offers and the current total grants paid to businesses is £9,310.15.  The projected annual running costs of administering grants to business and residential applicants, including Welsh Government official time, is £60,000.

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister detail how many businesses received grants through the Welsh Governments Broadband Support Scheme in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the total amount paid out in grants to businesses for each of these 3 years and the annual running costs for each of these 3 years? (WAQ66996)

Answer received on 15 May 2014

Edwina Hart: Under the Broadband Support Scheme 160 business received grant offers in 2011 and the total value of grants paid was £104,300.75.  In 2012, 276 business received grant offers and a total grant value of £173,945.46 was paid.  238 businesses received grant offers in 2013 and the total grant paid was £139,861.93.  The annual running costs of administering grants to business and residential applicants, including official time, were; 2011 - £75,000, 2012 - £85,000 and 2013 - £72,000.

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): In light of the Wales Rural Observatory's Rural Business Survey 2013 which identified a drop in rural businesses planning to invest in research and development, will the Minister outline what support the Welsh Government is providing to rural based businesses to encourage them to invest in research and development? (WAQ66997)

Answer received on 13 May 2014

Edwina Hart: We support Research and Development by building stronger links between our businesses, further and higher education institutions and the Welsh Government.  Using a tailored package of advice and financial support, we encourage broader areas of creativity and wealth generation, as proposed in our strategies Innovation Wales and Science for Wales.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Peter Black (South Wales West): Will the Minister outline the outcomes from the £150 million allocated within the Second Supplementary Budget 2013-14 to meet demands and service pressures arising from the Francis review? (WAQ66998)

Answer received on 15 May 2014

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The additional £150m has enabled Health Boards to maintain performance in delivering high quality and safe services, particularly whilst addressing the demands within our unscheduled care services. It also provided funding for the delivery of a national immunisation programme and investment in the recruitment of additional nurses.

Peter Black (South Wales West): Will the Minister outline how the remainder of the £570 million additional funding package for the Welsh NHS will be allocated in 2014-15 and 2015-16? (WAQ66999)

Answer received on 15 May 2014

Mark Drakeford: The £570m additional funding package announced in the draft budget last Autumn, incorporates £150m in 2013-14, £180m in 2014-15 and £240m in 2015-16. The majority of the allocation in 2014-15 is needed to fund continuing commitments from 2013/14.  As in 2013/14 the 2014/15 allocation has therefore been allocated to each Health Board in accordance with the current allocation formula for Wales.  The final decision on the allocation for 2015-16 will be made prior to the start of next financial year.

Peter Black (South Wales West): Will the Minister provide an update on the £50 million allocated within the Second Supplementary Budget 2013-14 to be held as a contingency measure in the event that some Local Health Boards were unable to achieve a breakeven position at the end of the financial year? (WAQ67000)

Answer received on 15 May 2014

Mark Drakeford: The £50m was allocated to my Department to ensure that the DHSS MEG would be able to achieve an overall financial breakeven position at the year end. The overall DHSS financial outturn position remains in draft at present and will not be confirmed until after the final accounts of the NHS bodies have been audited and signed off in mid June.

Peter Black (South Wales West): Will the Minister outline the final financial position of all Local Health Boards at the end of the 2013-14 financial year? (WAQ667001)

Answer received on 15 May 2014

Mark Drakeford: The final financial position of all Local Heath Boards cannot be confirmed until the final accounts of the Health Boards have been signed off following the completion of the external audit by the Wales Audit Office. This is expected to be the middle of June.