Answers issued to Members on 17 March 2009

[R] signifies that the Member has declared an interest.
[W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.

Contents

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery

Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister give the figures for the postal delivery service used by NDPBs for which he is responsible, by value and volume for every year since 1999? (WAQ53650)

The Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport (Ieuan Wyn Jones): I am not responsible for any Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies (AGSBs).

Eleanor Burnham (North Wales): Now that Wrexham and Shropshire Railway has cut services from Wrexham, how will the Minister address the practice of using subsidised stock on the Aberystwyth-London route at the expense of Wrexham? (WAQ53673)

The Deputy First Minister: The proposal to introduce services between Aberystwyth and London is a commercial issue currently being considered by Arriva Trains Wales. Any service would not receive public subsidy.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister provide a figure for serious accidents, minor accidents and fatalities on Welsh roads for every month since January 2009? (WAQ53674)

The Deputy First Minister: Figures for road traffic accidents and casualties during the first quarter 2009 are not yet available. Provisional data for the first quarter of 2009 will be published in August 2009.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): How many minor, serious and fatal accidents have taken place on the A55 in each year since 2005? (WAQ53680)

The Deputy First Minister: During the period 1January 2005 to 31 December 2007 there were 295 collisions on the A55. The table below shows the breakdown into yearly figures and collision severity.

2008 data are not available.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister provide a list of road works undertaken on the A55 in each year since 2005? (WAQ53681)

The Deputy First Minister: Published as separate attachments to this file are two lists identifying road works carried out on the mainland A55 and A55 DBFO across Anglesey during 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The lists do not include cyclic maintenance which is carried out twice a year (2 weeks in June and 2 weeks in September), nor do they include reactive repairs.

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister give the figures for the postal delivery service used by NDPBs for which she is responsible, by value and volume for every year since 1999? (WAQ53665)

The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (Jane Hutt): Statistics on the value of postal delivery service used by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales are available from 2002-03 to 2007-08. The table below shows the Higher Education Funding Council’s annual postage expenditure within these years.

Neither the Welsh Assembly Government, nor the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, hold details of the volume of postal delivery.

THE HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL FOR WALES

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): What representations has the Minister had about Primary education in Ynys Mon? (WAQ53675)

Jane Hutt: I received 1 letter in October 2007 regarding the rationalisation of Primary schools in Ynys Môn.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): What representations has the Minister received regarding Secondary Education in Ynys Mon? (WAQ53676)

Jane Hutt: I have received no representations over the past 2 years regarding secondary education in Ynys Môn.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister provide details of the number of Primary Schools in Wales in each year since 1999, broken down into local education authority areas? (WAQ53683)

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister provide details of the number of Secondary Schools in Wales in each year since 1999, broken down into local education authority areas? (WAQ53684)

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister provide details of the number of Nursery Schools in Wales in each year since 1999, broken down into local education authority areas? (WAQ53685)

Jane Hutt: The information requested is in the tables published as attachments to this file.

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): When was the free school breakfasts scheme last audited for (i) value for money; (ii) effectiveness in alleviating child poverty; and what were the outcomes of the audit? (WAQ53705)

Jane Hutt: An independent evaluation has been undertaken by Cardiff Institute for Society, Health and Ethics. This research has concluded that this initiative represents a potentially effective approach for addressing population dietary behaviour in the long term, given that many of the intrinsic rewards and habitual behaviours associated with consumption develop at this age. It was seen as effective in promoting positive attitudes to breakfasts which represent important mediating targets for dietary interventions aimed at children. The findings can be accessed through the Welsh Assembly Government website http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/learningproviders/Schools/foodanddrink/breakfastinitiative/evaluation/

In addition, from January this year, data on schools and pupils who participate in the initiative will be collected through PLASC. This information will also enable us to undertake an analysis of the numbers attending the free breakfast initiative that are also in receipt of free school meals; this information was not previously collected.

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister give the figures for the postal delivery service used by NDPBs for which he is responsible, by value and volume for every year since 1999? (WAQ53656)

The Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery (Andrew Davies): I am not responsible for any NDPBs.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): What services are provided in the areas for which you are responsible through the Post Office network? (WAQ53657)

Andrew Davies: I am not responsible for the delivery of any specific services through the Post Office network.

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): How much has the Welsh Assembly Government spent on buffets in each year since 1999? (WAQ53702)

Andrew Davies: Information regarding Welsh Assembly Government expenditure on buffets is not held centrally.

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): How much food waste is disposed of from the Welsh Assembly Government in each year since 1999? (WAQ53708)

Andrew Davies: The information is not held centrally at this time.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Green Dragon objective is to reduce waste by 5% whilst increasing the recycling of waste to 80% by 2010.

In implementing this policy a wormery has been introduced at the Merthyr Tydfil office. The wormery will produce a plant feed and bio-rich organic compost which will be used for soil improvement around the grounds of the Merthyr office. If this proves successful it will also be rolled out to the new Aberystwyth and Llandudno Junction offices.

A food waste segregation and composting scheme is also being investigated at our principal site at Cathays Park.

As part of the roll out of the Green Dragon environmental management system to the Welsh Assembly Government estate in 2009, all offices will look at ways of reducing food waste being sent to landfill.

Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister give the figures for the postal delivery service used by NDPBs for which he is responsible, by value and volume for every year since 1999? (WAQ53668)

The Minister for Rural Affairs (Elin Jones): The Department for Rural Affairs has no affiliated NDPBs.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): What services are provided in the areas for which you are responsible through the Post Office network? (WAQ53669)

Elin Jones: There is no direct link between the services delivered by my portfolio and the Post Office network. However, I am aware that Post Office services are at the heart of rural communities and the Department for Rural Affairs is committed to supporting sustainable rural communities.