Written Assembly Questions tabled on 9 September for answer on 16 September 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 Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on what the Welsh Government is doing to ensure all commercial premises are accessible to wheelchairs? (WAQ69144)
Answer received on 17 September 2015
The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Lesley Griffiths):
Our Framework for Action on Independent Living highlights the barriers that disabled people face on a day-to day basis and sets out what the Welsh Government is doing to improve matters. In relation to access to commercial premises, planning applications for new commercial developments are required to submit a Design and Access Statement which outlines how access considerations have informed their design. Part M of the Building Regulations currently includes provision for the access to and use of buildings and their facilities. However, these relate to new developments and cannot be applied retrospectively. We recognise there are challenges in improving access in older buildings although legal requirements to make reasonable adjustments will drive progress over time.
To improve accessibility, the Equality Act 2010 requires providers of goods and services to the public to make reasonable adjustments which must prevent disabled people being placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled counterparts. However, organisations are not required to do more than it is reasonable for them to do. What is reasonable depends, among other factors, on the size and nature of the organisation and the nature of the goods, facilities or services they provide. If a disabled person wants to use an organisation's services but finds there are barriers to doing so (e.g. lack of wheelchair access) then it is in the interests of both parties for the organisation to think about reasonable adjustments, and good service providers would recognise this.
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Further to the answer to WAQ69112, will the Minister confirm when data for 2015 will be published concerning the GCSE results of those in receipt of free school meals? (WAQ69140)
Answer received on 22 September 2015
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis):
Provisional data showing Key Stage 4 performance indicators by free school meal eligibility will be published at 9:30 a.m. on 24th September 2015. Due to improvements in the timeliness of processing the data, this is the first time the analysis by free school meals will be available so early in the cycle.
Final data will be published in December and the date will be announced here http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/?upcoming=true&lang=en as soon as it has been confirmed.
Aled Roberts (North Wales): What are the similarities and differences between the National School Categorisation System (which includes an assessment of current school performance and the 'ability and capacity to self-improve') and Estyn's inspection process (which includes 'overall judgement' and 'capacity to improve')? (WAQ69141)
Aled Roberts (North Wales): What practical day to day differences can schools in the red and green categories of the National School Categorisation System expect to experience in the services they receive from both the regional consortia and Estyn? (WAQ69142)
Answer received on 17 September 2015
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis):
The purpose of Estyn school inspection is to provide accountability to the users of services and other stakeholders through the public reporting on providers; to promote improvement in education and training; and to inform the development of national policy by Welsh Government. Estyn inspections are independent and their school inspections have a broader scope and range of considerations than the National School Categorisation System.
The purpose of the National School Categorisation System is to provide an early evaluation and assessment of schools in order to identify the level of support that they require. The Categorisation system informs opinion on the range of schools, from those that need significant support to those that are highly effective and who are able to become providers of such support within a self-improving school system.
Comparison is difficult because the two processes provide different individual judgements, made at different times and using a different methodology. Whilst I would expect some broad correlation between the overall Estyn judgement and the overall final colour support category, there may be exceptions due to the variance in methodologies used.
In terms of support, informed by categorisation, each school will receive a tailored programme of support, challenge and intervention based on their category. Working with the ADEW Quality Standards group, regional education consortia have agreed a consistent approach to the number of challenge adviser support days they notionally allocate for each category.
Consortia are also working very closely to share good practice between the regions and within their schools.
The level of service provided by Estyn is unaffected as it is not linked to the school categorisation outcome.
To ask the Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): How much funding was spent per annum on the 'Open for Business' rate relief scheme? (WAQ69143)
Answer received on 14 September 2015
The Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): The Open for Business Scheme cost £5,853 in 2014-15 and £172,826 in 2015-16.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Further to WAQ69135, will the Minister make a statement on the timescale for her consideration of the recommendations of the Low Carbon Vehicle Industry Steering Group? (WAQ69152)
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Further to WAQ69135, will the Minister publish the findings and the recommendations of the Low Carbon Vehicle Industry Steering Group? (WAQ69153)
Answer received on 22 September 2015
Edwina Hart: The LCV Steering Group will be reporting by the end of September and following due consideration as to the most appropriate means of communication, I will inform members of both findings and recommendations later this year.
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): What consideration has the Welsh Government given to establishing a rating scheme for businesses with regards to their provision for the disabled? (WAQ69145)
Answer received on 17 September 2015
The Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): All businesses are required to comply with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, and to ensure they make reasonable adjustments and that they do not discriminate against disabled people.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Janet Finch-Saunders (North Wales): What consideration is the Minister giving to widening access to the Meningitis B vaccine? (WAQ69146)
Answer received on 17 September 2015
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford):
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the meningitis B vaccination for children aged two, four and 12-13 months from 1 September 2015. We have accepted and are implementing these recommendations.
Janet Finch-Saunders (North Wales): Will the Minister advise what the cost would be to provide the Meningitis B vaccine to all children born in Wales between 1 May 2014 – 30 April 2015? (WAQ69147)
Answer received on 17 September 2015
Mark Drakeford:
The cost of providing the meningitis B vaccine to all children born in Wales between 1 May 2014 and 3 April 2015 (about 35,600 children) would be approximately £3m, assuming a 100% take-up rate.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the meningitis B vaccination for children aged two, four and 12-13 months from 1 September 2015. We have accepted and are implementing these recommendations
Janet Finch-Saunders (North Wales): What provisions are available, in Wales, for parents who wish to access the Meningitis B vaccine for children born prior to 1 May 2015? (WAQ69148)
Answer received on 17 September 2015
Mark Drakeford:
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the meningitis B vaccination for children aged two, four and 12-13 months from 1 September 2015. We have accepted and are implementing these recommendations.
The vaccine is not currently available on the NHS for children outside this age group.
Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn): How does the Welsh NHS collect the cost of treatment for people not entitled to NHS treatment and how much is outstanding? (WAQ69151)
Answer received on 17 September 2015
Mark Drakeford: Heath boards are responsible for identifying and charging those people who are not entitled to free NHS treatment.
Health boards have a legal obligation to establish whether the people receiving NHS services are entitled to free treatment.
The Welsh Government does not collect information about outstanding charges.
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of Changing Places to meet the needs of all disabled people in our Welsh Hospitals? (WAQ69149)
Answer received on 22 September 2015
The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant):
Detailed guidance has been issued to NHS Wales in the form of Welsh Health Building Notes to meet the needs of all disabled people who would need to have access to toilet facilities in hospitals. This is to comply with legislation and which are comparable to the requirements outlined in the Changing Places campaign.
My officials in Building Regulations, together with the other administrations in the UK, have been working with Mencap to try and raise awareness and the provision of the "Changing Places" facilities in the UK.
With the assistance of Mencap, we have looked at the merits of introducing further regulation, but it was concluded that a legislative approach would not be the best way to get better provision, not least because regulation would largely only apply to new, larger buildings (rather than the existing stock).
The preferred approach was to try and improve the provision by working with Mencap Cymru and key external partners to identify barriers to provision and establish how these should be addressed.
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's support for the Changing Places campaign to ensure the provision of accessible toilets that meet the needs of all disabled people in Wales? (WAQ69150)
Answer received on 22 September 2015
Carl Sargeant:
My officials in Building Regulations, together with the other administrations in the UK, have been working with Mencap to try and raise awareness and the provision of the "Changing Places" facilities in the UK.
With the assistance of Mencap, we have looked at the merits of introducing further regulation, but it was concluded that a legislative approach would not be the best way to get better provision, not least because regulation would largely only apply to new, larger buildings (rather than the existing stock).
The preferred approach was to try and improve the provision by working with Mencap Cymru and key external partners to identify barriers to provision and establish how these should be addressed.