Answers issued to Members on 19 February 2009

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

Contents

Questions to the First Minister

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

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery

Questions to the First Minister

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): By Welsh Assembly Government department and in each year since 1999, how many employees were dismissed and what were the reasons for dismissal? (WAQ53387)

The First Minister (Rhodri Morgan): Since 2003 there have been 43 dismissals, 18 were disciplinary matters and 25 on inefficiency grounds. This information is contained in our HR database, but was not recorded centrally before 2003. The breakdown is below.

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

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales central): How many applicants for Educational Maintenance Allowances have withdrawn their applications for this year and each year since its introduction? (WAQ53421)

The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (Jane Hutt): Since its introduction no application for Education Maintenance Allowance has been withdrawn.

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales central): How many students applied for an Educational Maintenance Allowance last year and what proportion are still awaiting approval of their applications? (WAQ53422)

Jane Hutt: 33,290 students applied for an EMA in 2007/08, of these, pending the provision of outstanding information or evidence by the applicant, 1,180 (3.5%) are still outstanding. There are no applications outstanding from 2007/08 where all the information has been provided. The latest statistics on EMA applications for 2008/09 were published in the Statistical First Release 'Education Maintenance Allowances Awarded in Wales in 2008/09 (Provisional)’ in January 2009.

Andrew R.T. Davies ((South Wales central): How long has it taken, on average, to process Educational Maintenance Allowance applications for this year and previous years? (WAQ53425)

Jane Hutt: The number of days to process has been evaluated by using the initial date the application was received, until the assessed workstage is reached, plus 3 days to take in to account the time taken to reach the Student Loans Company. Weekends and Scottish bank holidays have been included, and will increase the average.

Additional anti-fraud measures were introduced in 2008/09 and I have been monitoring the effects of the increased processing time closely. As a result I announced the enhancements which the Student Loans Company will introduce in 2009/10 to improve processing times in my Written Statement dated 16 February 2009.

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery

Alun Cairns (South Wales West): Further to WAQ53150, will the Minister provide a list of journals and newspapers purchased by individuals from Divisional budgets? (WAQ53428)

The Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery (Andrew Davies): Information on specific journals and newspapers purchased by individuals from Divisional budgets is not held centrally.

Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): What plans does the Welsh Assembly Government have to implement the recommendations of the Finance Committee as laid out in the report of the Committee into the draft budget? (WAQ53430)

Andrew Davies: My response to the Finance Committee’s recommendations on the draft budget can be viewed on the National Assembly for Wales website at:

http://www.cynulliadcymru.org/en/bus-home/bus-committees/bus-committees-third1/bus-committees-third-fin-home/bus-committees-third-fin-agendas.htm.

In particular, I share the Committee’s aim of providing increased transparency within the scrutiny process, and will explore ways of further increasing transparency for the next draft budget scrutiny process, building on the improvements made this year.