Written Assembly Questions tabled on 10 January 2016 for answer on 17 January 2016
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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
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide the passenger numbers for the T9 bus service for the last 3 years broken down on a on a month by month basis? (WAQ71833)
Answer received on 17 January 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): The monthly breakdown of passengers carried on the T9 bus service is as follows:
| MONTH | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 |
| April | 8,777 | 8,547 | 8,653 |
| May | 8,402 | 7,749 | 10,695 |
| June | 8,322 | 10,882 | 13,358 |
| July | 8,841 | 9,674 | 14,589 |
| August | 5,989 | 10,012 | 14,500 |
| September | 9,870 | 11,879 | 14,954 |
| October | 10,479 | 22,258 | |
| November | 10,305 | 13,090 | |
| December | 8,719 | 11,740 | |
| January | 6,657 | 11,359 | |
| February | 5,190 | 11,359 | |
| March | 7,044 | 13,041 | |
| TOTAL | 98,595 | 141,590 |
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm when the consultant's report in respect of the future of the North Wales Air Link will be concluded, when it will be made available to the public and what costs to date have been allocated to undertake this report? (WAQ71834)
Answer received on 17 January 2017
Ken Skates: We have made available the following sums to the Vale of Glamorgan Council for the provision of the TrawsCymru T9 Cardiff Airport Express service.
2014-15 £379,986
2015-16 £465,985
2016-17 £455,780
I will make an announcement shortly about the level of funding I will make available to support the T9 service in 2017-18.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide details of all Welsh Government grants/subsidies that have been made available for the T9 bus service from Cardiff Airport to Cardiff Central Station, broken down over the last three years, and specify how much money is committed to the next financial year for this service? (WAQ71835)
Answer received on 18 January 2017
Ken Skates: We anticipate the external review of the North South Air Link will be concluded by Spring 2017 and publication will follow. The value of the contract to undertake the study is £52,370.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Following the recent announcement of an £80 million treatment fund, how much of this funding will be received by each of Wales' health boards? (WAQ71841)
Answer received on 17 January 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): The annual allocation of £16 million for the New Treatment Fund is being allocated using the usual formula agreed at the All-Wales level with NHS Wales. The table below shows the annual allocations:
| Health Board | Annual Allocation |
| Abertawe Bro Morgannwg | £2.866m |
| Aneurin Bevan | £3.061m |
| Betsi Cadwaladr | £3.401m |
| Cardiff and Vale | £2.303m |
| Cwm Taf | £1.778m |
| Hywel Dda | £1.940m |
| Powys | £0.651m |
| Total | £16.000m |
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide a list of all additional treatments and medicines that this fund will help gain access to, and if possible, provide any details on the estimated cost of each item? (WAQ71842)
Answer received on 17 January 2017
Vaughan Gething: The New Treatment Fund will support the faster introduction of all new medicines recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group. Both organisations publish their recommendations monthly on their web-sites. We will publish a list of all new, recommended medicines at regular intervals with details of the disease/condition the medicine treats. Budget impact will be included where possible and not in breach of commercial confidence.
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How does the Welsh Government determine what treatments are deemed "cost-effective", and therefore not available via Wales' new treatment fund? (WAQ71843)
Answer received on 18 January 2017
Vaughan Gething: The clinical and cost effectiveness of new medicines is determined by two expert bodies; the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG).
Where the manufacturer's data for a new medicine cannot demonstrate a clinical benefit in balance with the cost to the NHS, it will not be recommended for routine use by NICE or AWMSG. They are therefore not routinely available within NHS Wales.
The New Treatment Fund will help support the faster introduction of those medicines that NICE and AWMSG have recommended as clinically and cost effective.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Is it the Minister's intention for the access track, for the Mynydd y Gwair wind farm, at Bolgoed, Pontarddulais, in "Figure 1.2 Common Land Application CL68 Sheet 1 of 3", to be fully used for access to the wind farm considering the document shows that the path has yet to be completed? (WAQ71844)
Answer received on 17 January 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs (Lesley Griffiths): The Welsh Ministers were asked to exercise their powers under the Commons Act 2006 to grant an application to deregister certain land as common land and register other land as replacement common land in relation to the Mynydd y Gwair wind farm. The Welsh Ministers made a decision to grant that application and issued a deregistration and exchange order. This order defined both the common land released, which included parts of the existing track, and the replacement common land.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Welsh Government outline what policies and programmes are currently in place to support children experiencing four or more Adverse Childhood Experiences? (WAQ71836)
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Welsh Government indicate how it intends to mitigate the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on children and their families? (WAQ71837)
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Welsh Government indicate how they intend to improve the wellbeing of children experiencing four or more Adverse Childhood Experiences? (WAQ71838)
Answer received on 20 January 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children (Carl Sargeant): The Welsh Government has a range of programmes which support those who have experienced ACEs. Through our Flying Start and Families First programmes we work closely with children and their families to identify any risks and needs and to offer appropriate and timely interventions to address these.
My approach to building resilient communities includes a focus on tackling ACEs, and equipping children and families to improve their life chances. We are working collaboratively as part of Cymru Well Wales to undertake activity with other organisations to identify, prevent and provide support for those experiencing ACEs.
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Cabinet Secretary outline what provision is in place to safeguard children who meet the threshold for support from social services outside the education system? (WAQ71839)
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Cabinet Secretary outline what provision is in place to safeguard children who meet the threshold for support from social services in the education system? (WAQ71840)
Answer received on 18 January 2017
Carl Sargeant: I refer the Member to my answer to WAQ 71807