Answers issued to Members on 18 June 2009
[R] signifies that the Member has declared an interest.
[W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
Contents
Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
Questions to the Minister for Heritage
Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Does the Welsh Assembly Government give consideration to the carbon footprint involved in the construction of an on-shore wind turbine when determining applications? (WAQ54365)
The Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing (Jane Davidson): The Assembly Government’s planning policy as set out in the Ministerial Interim Policy Statement and TAN 8 stresses the imperative to act immediately to address the threats of climate change. Wind power is one of the most commercially advanced forms of renewable energy and it is the Assembly Government’s policy to promote the installation of wind turbines in order to meet the targets established in TAN 8.
The overwhelming majority of applications for wind farm developments are either determined by local planning authorities under their town and country planning powers, or where a scheme exceeds 50MW, they are determined by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Consequently the Assembly Government’s role in determining applications is limited to isolated instances of call-in.
In 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government undertook some work to calculate emission savings arising from turbines on the Forestry estate which indicates that over a 25 year lifespan a 3MW turbine is calculated to save 84,753 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Does the Welsh Assembly Government offer any guidance to Local authorities with regards to the carbon footprint involved in the construction of an on-shore wind turbine when determining applications? (WAQ54366)
Jane Davidson: Wind power is the most commercially advanced renewable energy technology and the Assembly Government has clear planning policies to facilitate its renewable energy targets. The Assembly Government does not, however, offer any specific guidance to local authorities with regards to the carbon footprint involved with the construction of onshore wind turbines, not least, because this can vary from case to case.
Mick Bates (Montgomeryshire): Are any Welsh Assembly Government consultative meetings planned on the Draft Flood and Water Management Bill and if so where and when are these planned for? (WAQ54380)
Jane Davidson: The Welsh Assembly Government has organised three Flood and Water Management Bill workshops to be held across Wales.
The Flood and Water Management Bill workshops will cover the provisions contained within the draft Bill and outlined in the consultation document. The aim of the workshops is to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the proposals. The workshops will be three hours long and will include a short presentation on the draft Bill followed by discussion of the proposals within smaller groups.
The workshops will be held as follows:
June 24th, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (9.30am - 12.30pm)
June 30th, Trinity College, Carmarthen (2.30pm - 5.30pm)
July 1st, Venue Cymru, Llandudno (2.30pm - 5.30pm)
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister provide an update on the review of the eye care contract in Wales including the timescales for implementation? (WAQ54323)
Edwina Hart: I will not be making any decisions on the contract before the mid year financial review.
Alun Cairns (South Wales West): Will the Minister list separately the number of administrative, non clinical posts at the Bro Morgannwg and Swansea NHS Trusts immediately prior to merger? (WAQ54341)
Alun Cairns (South Wales West): Will the Minister list the number of administrative, non clinical posts in the Abertawe University Bro Morgannwg Trust? (WAQ54342)
Edwina Hart: This information is not held centrally.
Peter Black (South Wales West): Will the Minister make a statement on the use of Insulin Pumps in the treatment of diabetes? (WAQ54354)
Peter Black (South Wales West): What percentage of diabetes patients in Wales make use of Insulin Pumps? (WAQ54355)
Peter Black (South Wales West): What is the Welsh Assembly Government doing to ensure that all patients who are clinically suitable for Insulin Pumps are able to access them? (WAQ54356)
Edwina Hart: The provision of insulin pumps is a matter for clinicians to decide in consultation with their patients. All treatment and care for people with diabetes should be based on an assessment of an individual’s needs. Information on what percentage of diabetes patients in Wales make use of insulin pumps is not collected centrally.
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): When did the National Delivery Group hold its first meeting? (WAQ54357)
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How are meetings of the National Delivery Group going to maximise transparency? (WAQ54359)
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Will the Minister detail (a) when the next meeting of the National Delivery Group is due to take place and (b) where? (WAQ54361)
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Edwina Hart): The first meeting of the National Delivery Group was held on the 4th June 2009 and meetings will be held monthly in the first instance.
It is not proposed that the Delivery Group’s papers will be made available publicly.
The next meeting will be held on the 23rd July 2009.
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): When did the National Advisory Board hold its first meeting? (WAQ54358)
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How are meetings of the National Advisory Board going to maximise transparency? (WAQ54360)
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Will the Minister detail (a) when the next meeting of the National Advisory Board is due to take place and (b) where? (WAQ54362)
Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Where are the minutes and papers of the National Advisory Board being made public? (WAQ54363)
Edwina Hart: The first informal meeting of the National Advisory Board (NAB) was held on the 27th April 2009.
In order to meet the requirements for transparency and accountability, the NAB will meet in public and its agenda, papers and minutes will be a published record. They will be available on the Assembly Government’s website.
The NAB agenda will be published at least 5 working days in advance of each meeting, and an agreed record of the meeting will be published within 10 working days of the meeting.
The NAB will aim to conduct as much of its business in public as possible. There may, occasionally, be circumstances where it would not be in the public interest to do so, and the Chair will determine any such occasions.
The first formal meeting will be held at 11 am in Tŷ Hywel on Monday the 29th June 2009.
The Agenda and papers for the National Advisory Board will be posted to the Welsh Assembly Government website.
Questions to the Minister for Heritage
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the decision by Visit Wales to charge accommodation businesses to purchase accommodation signs? (WAQ54338)
The Minister for Heritage (Alun Ffred Jones): All accommodation businesses which are awarded a grading as part of the Visitor Accommodation Quality Assurance Scheme are entitled to a free, A4 sized, coated aluminium external display sign for their premises upon receipt of their first grading, or a revised grading, and this continues to be the case.
Businesses wishing to display an additional A4 sized sign, larger signs or illuminated signs are able to purchase these from a contracted supplier, and an order brochure is available for this purpose.