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Written Assembly Questions tabled on 10 October 2017 for answer on 17 October 2017

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 provide a breakdown per month, for the last 12 months of the volume of WAQs received by each respective department, providing the average length of time each department takes to respond to a WAQ, along with their shortest and longest time to respond? (WAQ74410) 

Answer received on 13 October 2017

The First Minister (Carwyn Jones): For the period September 2016 – September 2017 a total of 3,364 Written Assembly Questions have been received.  All Written Assembly Questions receive a response within 8 working days.  Any further analysis could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm how many land owners are yet to receive full and final payment for land acquired by Welsh Government in Section 2 of the Gilwern to Brymawr phase of the Heads of the Valleys development and further indicate when they will receive payment? (WAQ74408)

Answer received on 17 October 2017

The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): Out of a total of 59 landowners there are; 56 waiting to receive full and final payment; 3 that have received final payment of compensation; 8 that have received advance payments (landowners are entitled to request an advance payment of compensation of up to 90% of the estimated compensation once entry has been taken upon their land).
It should be noted that final compensation is not paid until the agent representing the landowner finalises, submits and agrees their final claim. The reasonable agents fees are paid as part of the compensation package and those agents should be advising their clients of the legislation and process. To assist, my officials have written to all landowners whose land has been entered advising them they are able to request an advance payment. Heads of Claim also include Disturbance and Injurious Affection as well as Land and Loss payments. It is therefore difficult for an agent to quantify these amounts until the road scheme has been completed and is opened fully to traffic. Land owners are advised that Welsh Government will rely on the Limitation Act 1980 if claims have not been agreed, or referred to the Lands Tribunal, within six years of entry being taken onto their land.
Further information on Land acquisition and compensation can be found on our website at:
http://gov.wales/topics/transport/roads/land-acquisition-compensation/?lang=en

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): In regard to WAQ74310, will the Cabinet Secretary provide information on incidences where health boards have failed to achieve specific targets, despite being given additional funding and the amount that the Welsh Government has clawed back as a result of non-delivery, in the last 12 months? (WAQ74403)

Answer received on 20 October 2017

The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): I will write to you as soon as possible and a copy of my letter will be published on the internet.

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide details of the number of nursing beds available in Wales's residential and nursing sectors, in each of the local authorities, and how does this compares with the last three years? (WAQ74405)

Answer received on 20 October 2017

The Minister for Social Services and Public Health (Rebecca Evans): I will write to you as soon as possible and a copy of my letter will be published on the internet.
 
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): What progress has been made on collecting data on the number of nurses employed in the independent nursing and residential sectors, and is the Cabinet Secretary confident that all nursing homes are able to provide the required standard of nurse staffing levels? (WAQ74406)

Answer received on 20 October 2017

The Minister for Social Services and Public Health (Rebecca Evans): I will write to you as soon as possible and a copy of my letter will be published on the internet.

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How many incidences of sepsis death have been recorded in each of Wales's hospitals in the last three years? (WAQ74407)

Answer received on 20 October 2017

Vaughan Gething: The number of sepsis deaths[1]  recorded in Wales's hospitals in the last three years are shown in the attached tables.  Hospitals where there are less than 3 deaths are not shown, but the total for each year will include those hospitals.
Number of sepsis deaths recorded in Wales's hospitals in the last three years
 
2014/15

 
2015/2016

 
 
2016/17
 

[1] Based on Any Mention of Sepsis Diagnosis (A40,A41)

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs

Steffan Lewis (South Wales East): Will the Cabinet Secretary suspend the need for Caerphilly County Borough Council to demonstrate a five year land supply until that authority adopts a local development plan? (WAQ74404)

Answer received on 18 October 2017

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs (Lesley Griffiths): The planning system must provide the land needed in the correct places to meet the housing requirements of communities across Wales, as identified by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in their Local Development Plans (LDPs). There is an urgent need to increase housing supply.
 
Planning Policy Wales requires all LPAs across Wales to identify a 5 year supply of genuinely available and deliverable housing land. The 5 year supply informs LDP strategies, policies and allocations and is a key mechanism for monitoring the effectiveness of the LDP. I do not intend undermining this all Wales policy position and evidence base by suspending the requirement for individual LPAs to demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing land.
 

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Further to the answer provided in WAQ74060, will the Cabinet Secretary provide full details of the meetings that were postponed, and will the Cabinet Secretary further confirm that the re-arranged meetings have now taken place and outline the level of engagement? (WAQ74409)

Answer received on 20 October 2017

The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children (Carl Sargeant):  Further to my previous response, meetings were arranged with Mark Lancaster TD VR MP, Minister for Defence Veterans, Reserves and Personnel on the 8 June.  This meeting was postponed by Mark Lancaster due to urgent business demands.

A new date was set for the 17 July.  However, due to urgent Ministerial business I was unable to attend this meeting.  A meeting with The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood was subsequently arranged for the 18 September.

I travelled to London to meet with the Minister on the 18 September.  Unfortunately due to the Parsons Green incident the Minister was called to an urgent meeting and we were unable to meet.  We subsequently discussed matters relating to the Armed Forces community via a telephone conversation on 20 September.

I will be attending the newly formed Covenant and Veterans Board on 26 October in the Ministry of Defence.  This meeting will be hosted by the First Secretary of State and will include the Secretary of State for Defence and representatives of the Devolved Administrations.