Written Assembly Questions tabled on 13 February 2017 for answer on 20 February 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 Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): Will the Cabinet Secretary list all the health centres in Wales that have been built since 2007, and their cost? (WAQ72981)W
Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): Will the Cabinet Secretary list under which financial regime each health centre has been built in Wales since 2007, e.g. health board, GPs themselves, private company or other? (WAQ72982)W
Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): Which health centres built in Wales since 2007 were built under PFI or a similar scheme? (WAQ72983)W
Answer received on 23 February 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething):
Details are provided in the attached.
Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): Are there guidelines for health boards with regard to how new health centres are funded? (WAQ72984)W
Answer received on 22 Februry 2017
Vaughan Gething: Guidance for the delivery of capital projects via the All Wales Capital Programme are set out in the NHS Infrastructure Investment Guidance. This document was revised and published in March 2015, by Welsh Health Circular (2015) 012.
http://gov.wales/docs/dhss/publications/150331whc012en.pdf
The framework for delivery of projects through a revenue funded model is set out in The National Health Service (General Medical Services – Premises Costs) (Wales) Directions 2015.
http://gov.wales/legislation/subordinate/nonsi/nhswales/2015/2015direct9/?skip=1&lang=en
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Mohammad Asghar (South Wales East): What plans does the Welsh Government have to review the Pupil Deprivation Grant guidelines so that direct additional support can be provided for all pupils rather than just for those in receipt of free school meals? (WAQ72980)
Answer received on 21 February 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Education (Kirsty Williams): It is totally unacceptable for children's success to be determined by their social or economic circumstances. Underpinning all of our work is a belief that someone's ability to benefit from education should not be determined by where they live or what their income is. I will continue to reduce inequalities and remove barriers to education.
Entitlement to free school meals is used as a proxy for "deprivation". Learners living in the most deprived communities in Wales are more likely to require additional support to ensure equal access to opportunities for learning and to reach their potential. Over £93 million will be invested through the Pupil Deprivation Grant in 2017-18. I am considering how this significant investment can be best targeted to support our most disadvantaged learners and help close the attainment gap.
Through our guidance we already encourage schools to adopt whole school approaches which potentially benefit all learners, but ensure the needs of disadvantaged learners are supported. This is an effective way of making best use of finite resources and enables schools, parents and carers to better support individual children, and contribute towards education at school and at home.
Millbrook Primary School in Newport adopts a team approach to its Family Learning Programme and uses PDG to employ a Pupil and Family Engagement Officer to work with the whole-school community to determine an annual programme of family learning activities. Activities include a family reading café; family literacy and numeracy workshops linked to the national tests; family learning workshops and digital learning café. The number of parents engaging with their child's learning has increased by 50%. The gap in performance between learners eligible for free school meals (eFSM) and those learners not eligible for free school meals (non-eFSM) has closed.