Written Assembly Questions tabled on 14 January 2016 for answer on 21 January 2016
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 confirm how many requests have been received under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by the Welsh Government in each of the last four financial years, giving annual figures for the number of those requests that were declined? (WAQ69673)
Answer received on 26 January 2016
The First Minister (Carwyn Jones):
The information for the last four financial years is as follows:
| Financial Year | Resolvable Requests | | Requests Declined (in whole or in part. |
| All Requests | of which: FOI requests | | |
| 2012-13 | 1054 | 959 | 496 |
| 2013-14 | 1032 | 906 | 536 |
| 2014-15 | 934 | 821 | 469 |
| 2015-16 | 671 | 622 | 365 |
Notes
1. 'All Resolvable Requests' are requests for information that meet the statutory criteria to be considered under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and the Data Protection Act 1998. The figures exclude "routine" requests and information given out during the normal course of business.
2. 'FOI' requests are those requests that have been handled solely under the FOIA.
3. 'Requests Declined (in whole or in part) includes requests where the information was not held, where some or all of the information was withheld under one or more statutory exemption, where dealing with the request would exceed the appropriate limit, where the request was regarded as vexatious and also where the request was withdrawn. The figures relate to 'All Resolvable Requests'; it is not possible to provide this information solely in relation to the FOIA.
4. The figures for 2015-16 are part year figures and were correct as at January 15, 2016.
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): What value-for-money assessment has the Minister made of Welsh Government spending on international development and international relations over the past three financial years? (WAQ69674)
Answer recevied on 25 January 2016
The First Minister (Carwyn Jones):
Delivering value for money is embedded into Welsh Government activity. Spending is in line with best practice principles for managing public resources, which ensure value for money is achieved. Plans and programmes are also subject to Welsh Government evaluation and audit arrangements.
Resources within both portfolios - which cover a range of programmes and activities - are managed flexibly and effectively, and have produced sustainable results over time, contributing to associated recent record levels of investment, annual increases in international visits to Wales since 2012, and an internationally recognised Wales for Africa programme.
To ask the Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the removal of litter on the verges of the trunk roads that pass through Brecon and Radnorshire? (WAQ69665)
Answer received on 21 January 2016
The Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 we are responsible for litter picking and debris removal on the M4, M48 and parts of the A55. Local authorities are responsible for litter picking and debris removal on the remaining trunk road, motorway and local road network.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): What discussions has the Minister had with the UK Government regarding the extension of enhanced capital allowances to all seven enterprise zones in Wales? (WAQ69666)
Answer received on 21 January 2016
Edwina Hart: We have raised this issue with the UK Government previously and they have been clear that the Welsh Government would be required to fund any additional ECA sites in Wales.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Given that annual reporting on enterprise zones does not include total new jobs created, total private sector investment attracted, or total Welsh Government expenditure, will the Minister disclose these figures? (WAQ69667)
Answer received on 25 January 2016
Edwina Hart: Information on jobs created in each of the zones is currently published on each of the individual zone sites. At present information on total investment in the Enterprise Zones has been published for the period up to end March 2015 on the Welsh Government website. It is our intention to publish data on separate public and private investment in Summer 2016 when some key projects will have completed and the full year-end performance for 2015/16 can be included.
To ask the Minister for Finance and Government Business
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister disclose total annual spend by the Welsh Government on refurbishing its offices, giving a breakdown by location? (WAQ69669)
Answer received on 25 January 2016
The Minister for Finance and Government Business (Jane Hutt): Details of expenditure on refurbishing the administrative offices of Welsh Government by location, for the last full financial year (2014/15) are provided in the table below:
| Location | Refurbishment Building Costs (£) | Refurbishment Furniture Costs (£) |
| Llandudno Junction | 476,088 | 0 |
| Cathays Park | 1,296,987 | 1,240,101 |
| Ty Hywel | 26,203 | 0 |
| Bedwas | 2,633 | 0 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 24,013 | 23,559 |
| Aberystwyth | 162,707 | 0 |
| Newtown | 18,243 | 0 |
| Carmarthen | 1,128,333 | 346,715 |
| London | 2,059 | 0 |
| Totals | 3,137,266 | 1,610,375 |
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide a detailed breakdown of all expenditure on office refurbishment at Welsh Government premises in Cardiff; including furniture, televisions, IT equipment, and carpets? (WAQ69670).
Answer received on 25 January 2016
Jane Hutt: Details of expenditure on refurbishing the administrative offices of Welsh Government in Cardiff for the last full financial year (2014/15) are as follows:
| Refurbishment Building Costs | Refurbishment Furniture Costs |
| £1,323,190 | £1,240,101 |
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide a detailed breakdown of all expenditure on advertising by the Welsh Government during 2014/15 and the year to date? (WAQ69671)
Answer received on 25 January 2016
Jane Hutt:
Welsh Government spending on advertising covers a wide range of issues which are important to people in Wales. It is primarily aimed at informing the public about policies, programmes and legislation which affect them, and behaviour change campaigns in areas like public health, education standards and economic opportunity.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 to date | |
| Print/Press | 1,502,000 | 1,924,000 | 132,000 |
| TV | 369,000 | 2,418,000 | 462,000 |
| Radio | 294,000 | 513,000 | 92,000 |
| Social Media | 102,000 | 112,000 | 7,000 |
| Digital | 387,000 | 923,000 | 91,000 |
| Outdoor | 478,000 | 614,000 | 41,000
|
(figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and covers expenditure on contracts held by Communications Directorate).
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on steps the Welsh Government will take to improve breast feeding rates in Wales following the ending of the breastfeeding lead post in Public Health Wales? (WAQ69664)
Answer received on 26 January 2016
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford):
The Welsh Government recognises the importance of breastfeeding and is committed to increasing breastfeeding rates across Wales, but in particular in disadvantaged areas where rates are lowest.
Public Health Wales (PHW) have responsibility for delivering the National Breastfeeding Programme - a programme of activities which incorporates work within the NHS, communities, and the voluntary sector.
Following the Transforming Health Improvement in Wales Review in 2013, recommendations were made that there were likely to be more effective approaches to achieving increased breastfeeding rates.
The review considered the future direction for health improvement, and the need for this area of work to be revised to reflect current evidence and priorities. It highlighted the need for breastfeeding to be embedded as part of a systems-based approach to achieve the biggest impact. As part of this work, breastfeeding will be promoted and normalised in all PHW programmes of work, and staffing arrangements are being changed to reflect this. Examples of this include the NHS Settings Programme, where health boards will continue to be supported to achieve and maintain UNICEF's UK Baby Friendly accreditation, and a Breastfeeding Report Card is being developed to measure success, share good practice and identify areas requiring additional support. Breast feeding will also be embedded in the Educational Settings Programme, Early Years Work Programme, Health at Work Programme, Healthy and Well Communities, Nutrition and Obesity Programme, Mental Wellbeing, and Research and Development.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide figures for the number of cases where IVF treatment has been commissioned outside of Wales for patients from Welsh health boards, giving an annual cost and total number of cases for each of the last five years, including the most recent figures for this year to date? (WAQ69668)
Answer received on 26 January 2016
Mark Drakeford: The requested data has been provided by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee. Annual IVF costs for patients from Wales below.
| Provider | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 (to Nov) |
| Liverpool Women's | £571,000 | £528,000 | £552,000 | £410,000 | £341,000 |
| Shrewsbury | £407,000 | £430,000 | £587,000 | £470,000 | £563,000 |
| North Bristol | 0 | £326,000 | £192,000 | 0 | 0 |
| IPC* | £253,000 | £80,000 | £399,000 | £180,000 | £253,000 |
| Total | £1,231,000 | £1,364,000 | £1,730,000 | £1,060,000 | £1,157,000 |
*Individual Patient Commissioning (E.g. Pre-Genetic Diagnosis testing at Guys & St Thomas')
Completed IVF cycles for patients from Wales below.
| Provider | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 (to Nov) |
| Liverpool Women's | 129 | 116 | 132 | 107 | 87 |
| Shrewsbury | 84 | 90 | 108 | 107 | 95 |
| Bristol Clinic | 0 | 0 | 64 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | 213 | 206 | 304 | 221 | 182 |
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): With reference to WAQ67086, will the Minister provide a breakdown of the number of postponed admitted procedures in Wales during 2014/15? (WAQ69672)
Answer received on 25 January 2016
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford):
I refer you to the answer provided on 30 September 2015 in reply to WAQ69198.