Written Assembly Questions tabled on 12 December 2013 for answer on 19 December 2013
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
To ask the Minister for Culture and Sport
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What discussions has the Minister had with relevant stakeholders, as regards the potential Maritime Museum in Llandudno? (WAQ66127)
Answer received for publication on 6 January 2013
The Minister for Culture and Sport (John Griffiths): Neither I, nor my officials, have been approached regarding a potential maritime museum in Llandudno.
To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Further to WAQ66021 and WAQ66019, will the Minister provide detail of the weighting allocated against each of the criteria in considering applications for funding from the Community Asset Transfer Fund? (WAQ66132)
Answer received for publication on 18 December 2013
The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Jeff Cuthbert): Further to the information provided in WAQ66019, the BIG Lottery assessed all Community Asset Transfer Fund applications against the following criteria:
The proposed project outcomes met an identified need and helped achieve the programme outcomes; and
The applicant could deliver the project well and achieve the proposed outcomes.
Individual projects were rated as excellent, good, satisfactory or weak against these criteria and equal weighting was attached to each.
The first took into account the projects’ fit with the aims of the CAT Fund as well as the evidence of local need.
The second looked at the capacity of the organisations to deliver the stated outcomes and the long term sustainability of the individual projects.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister make a statement on the actions taken by the Welsh Government to tackle obesity in children and young people? (WAQ66128)
Answer received for publication on 18 December 2013
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The Welsh Government recognises that reducing obesity levels is a key national challenge. We are currently taking a cross-departmental approach to reducing the rate of obesity across the entire life-course, with a particular focus on childhood. This approach is demonstrated, for example, in the development of healthy schools, Building a Brighter Future: Early Years and Childcare Plan, and Creating an Active Wales.
The Government legislative programme also provides a number of opportunities to strengthen our efforts to support people in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Progress has already been made with the Active Travel (Wales) Act, which aims to enable people to walk and cycle and generally travel by more active methods and we continue to lobby the UK government to take action in areas where Wales does not have the necessary powers to act.
We also have a number of programmes supporting healthy weight in young people, many with a particular focus on deprived areas including Flying Start and Families first.
David Melding (South Wales Central): What incentives are in place to promote the use of “needle prick” INR blood testing for the regulation of warfarin, and what weight is given to the frequency of testing and the number of patients tested? (WAQ66133)
Answer received for publication on 6 January 2013
Mark Drakeford: We do not promote “needle prick” INR testing in preference to other monitoring systems. Health Boards commission these services and GMS practices are often selected as preferred providers as they are cost effective accessible for patients.
All patients who are prescribed warfarin should receive INR testing. Frequency of testing is a clinical decision, based on a patient’s individual circumstances.
David Melding (South Wales Central): Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s policy on siblings in care? (WAQ66134)
David Melding (South Wales Central): What guidance is in place to promote the co-placement of siblings in care? (WAQ66135)
Answer received on 18 December 2013 (WAQ66134 - 35)
Gwenda Thomas AM: Whilst there is no specific policy or guidance relating to siblings in care, the Children Act 1989 remains the overarching legislation concerning all placements for Looked After Children. The best interest of the child remains the primary consideration for a responsible authority concerning any co-placement of siblings. The Welsh Government believes that children should remain with their families where appropriate and providing it is in their best interest.
David Melding (South Wales Central): What guidance is in place to promote co-experiences for siblings in care who cannot receive a co-placement, such as attendance at the same school? (WAQ66136)
Answer received for publication on 18 December 2013 (WAQ66134-6)
Deputy Minister for Social Services (Gwenda Thomas): Whilst there is no specific policy or guidance relating to siblings in care, the Children Act 1989 remains the overarching legislation concerning all placements for Looked After Children. The best interest of the child remains the primary consideration for a responsible authority concerning any co-placement of siblings. The Welsh Government believes that children should remain with their families where appropriate and providing it is in their best interest.
To ask the Minister for Housing and Regeneration
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What is the total amount of funding provided by the Welsh Government to Groundwork Wales? (WAQ66129)
Answer received for publication on 17 December 2013
The Minister for Housing and Regeneration (Carl Sargeant): During 2013-2014 Groundwork Wales will receive £600,000 in core grant funding.
David Melding (South Wales Central): What guidance is in place to promote co-experiences for siblings in care who cannot receive a co-placement, such as attendance at the same school? (WAQ66136)
Answer received on 18 December 2013
Gwenda Thomas: There is no specific guidance to promote co-experiences for siblings in care, such as attendance at the same school.
The Education (Admission of Looked after Children) (Wales) Regulations 2009 place a duty on admission authorities in Wales, to admit children looked after by a local authority. Where siblings have been unable to receive a co-placement, the responsible authority should ensure that plans are in place to provide ongoing sibling contact, if this is in the best interests of the child.
Leighton Andrews (Rhondda): How many prisoners have been housed under the Homeless Persons (Priority Need) (Wales) Order 2001 each year since commencement; including a breakdown by each local authority? (WAQ66137)
Answer received for publication on 17 December 2013
Carl Sargeant: The number of households accepted each year as eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, because they contain a former prisoner with no accommodation to return to after being released from custody is shown in the following table. The table provides figures by local authority since the commencement of the Homeless Persons (Priority Need) Wales Order 2001.
To ask the Minister for Local Government and Government Business
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister provide details of any emergency financial assistance (formerly the 'Bellwin' scheme) provided to local authorities for the financial years 2010/11, 2011/12, and 2012/13? (WAQ66130)
Answer received for publication on 17 December 2013
The Minister for Local Government and Government Business (Lesley Griffiths): Ceredigion County Council received £34,832 in 2012-13 under the Emergency Financial Assistance Scheme.
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources and Food
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister provide an estimate as to when the Welsh Government will complete its mapping exercise, to allow for accurate allocation of payments to farmers? (WAQ66131)
Answer received for publication on 6 January 2013
The Minister for Natural Resources and Food (Alun Davies): I will announce my decisions on the structure of the new direct payment schemes on 14 January 2014, following consideration of the responses to the recent consultation.
Any mapping that may be required will be completed by the end of June 2014.